HAZELL    &    SONS 


BEEWEES 


ANNIE    S.    SWAN 

AUTHOR  OF 

'HUB  BAZTKR'8  BKQTTEST,'  'THB  8ECRXT  PAN'EL,'  ' ALDEKCTOM,' 
'OATH  OV  *D*S,'   'ULUt  ASD  PA1M.'  rTO.   1TC. 


EDITION 


CINCINNATI: 

CRANSTON   &   CURTS. 

NEW  YORK:  HUNT  &  EATON. 


EDITION 


Tl)i^  book  is  published  by  us  ur>- 
der  special  cor>bracb  -wibt) 

MESSRS.  OLIPHANT,  ANDERSON  &  FERRIER, 


of  Edir>bur^t>,  Scoblapd. 

r>ob    cbaP^e<i    ^be    ori6ir>al 

pt>y,  wl)icl)  varie^  ^li^bly  frorrj  our 

Arr)ericar)  Sbar>dards. 

CRANSTON  &  STOWE. 


222W22 


CONTENTS. 


CHAP.  PAO« 

I.    DISCORDS,       ....,.,  7 

II.    MARY  HA/KLI,,  .  .  .  .  .  .17 

III.  THE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH,  .  .  .  .27 

IV.  NIGHT  AND  MORNING,  .  .  .  .  .38 
V.    PARADISE  ROW,            .                .                .                .                .  .48 

VI.   BEGINNINGS,  .  .                 ....         58 

VII.    PERPLEXITIES,  .  .                .                .                .                .69 

VIII.    HEMMED  IN,  ......         80 

IX.    MADELINE  RATNE,  .  .....        91 

X.    CHUMS,             .  .  .                .                .                .                .103 

XI.    IN  THE  LIBRARY,  .  .                .                .                .                .114 

XII.   CONTRASTS,    .  .  .                .                .                .                .125 

xni.  THE  MOTHERS'  MEETING,      ...  .     135 

XIV.   THE  WALK  HOME,       ......      146 

XV.    A  TRYING  HOUR,          ......      156 

XVI.    AT  DAGGERS  DRAWN,  .  .  .  .  .167 

XVII.    GATHERING  CLOUDS,  .  .  .  ?  .178 

XVIII.    HUSBAND  AND  WIFE,  .  .  .  .  .189 

XIX.    A  CRISIS,         .  .  .  .  .  .  .      ]  99 

XX.    DEFIED,          .......      210 

XXI.   FANNING  THE  FIRE,  .....      221 

xxn.  THE  CASHIER'S  HOME,  .....     231 

\\iii.  ALL'S  WELL,  ......    241 


HAZELL    &    SONS. 


CHAPTER   L 


DISCORDS. 

CLOUD  had  marred  the  enjoyment  at  the 
break  fast-table.  The  June  sunshine,  peep- 
ing in  through  the  half-closed  Venetians, 
made  long  lines  of  light  in  the  pretty  room. 
One  bright  ray  sparkled  on  the  silver  urn,  and  touched 
with  a  golden  glory  the  sweet  face  of  the  lady  who  sat 
behind  it.  She  was  quite  young ;  looking  at  the  three 
persons  at  the  table,  it  was  difficult  to  determine  in 
what  relationship  she  stood  towards  them.  On  the 
right  sat  an  elderly  gentleman  of  a  fine  commanding 
presence,  with  a  splendid  head,  and  a  face  in  which 
benevolence  and  power  were  pleasantly  commingled. 
Opposite  to  him  sat  a  younger  man,  so  much  resembling 
him  that  it  was  easy  to  guess  that  they  were  father  and 
son.  At  the  foot  of  the  table  sat  one  still  younger,  a 


8  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

handsome,  fair-haired  lad,  not  long  out  of  his  teens. 
It  was  a  family  party  evidently,  but  family  harmony 
did  not  seem  to  prevail.  A  look  of  anxiety,  of  distress, 
even,  was  visible  on  the  lady's  face,  and  she  nervously 
toyed  with  the  toast  on  her  plate.  She  had  eaten 
nothing,  the  coffee  was  cold  in  her  cup,  the  atmosphere 
at  the  table  had  banished  any  appetite  she  might  have 
had.  The  elderly  gentleman's  brows  were  knit,  his 
firm  mouth  set  in  a  determined  curve,  the  son  opposite 
to  him  looked  grave  and  concerned  also ;  only  on  the 
face  of  the  lad  at  the  foot  of  the  table  there  sat  a 
reckless,  defiant  look,  and  he  seemed  to  be  partaking  of 
a  hearty  meal  with  relish. 

'You  are  eating  nothing,  Mrs.  Hazell,'  said  Eobert 
Hazell,  turning  kindly  to  his  father's  wife.  'Let  me 
get  you  something  from  the  sideboard,  a  slice  of  ham 
or  a  morsel  of  chicken.' 

'  No,  thank  you,  Kobert,  I  could  not  eat  it.' 

'  Yes,  Eleanor,  get  something.  Never  mind  the 
foolish  lad,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  unbending  his  brows  a 
little,  as  he  looked  towards  his  wife.  '  He  is  not  worth 
spoiling  one's  breakfast  for.  But  the  sooner  he  learns 
to  mend  his  ways,  the  better  it  will  be  for  himself,' 
he  added,  looking  frowningly  towards  the  foot  of  the 
table. 

'Much    obliged,'    was    the    lad's    cool    retort,  as  he, 
emptied  his  third  cup  of  coffee.     He  seemed  perfectly 
indifferent,  in  reality  he  was  furiously  angry. 

Herbert  Hazell  was  a  self-willed,  hot-headed  youth, 
who.  hated  to  be  meddled  with,  or  given  a  word  of 
reproof.  He  had  not  been  behaving  well  of  late.  He 


DISCORDS.  9 

had  come  in  during  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  for 
the  thud  time  within  a  week,  and  declined  to  give  any 
explanation  of,  or  apology  for,  his  conduct.  His  father, 
no  doubt,  was  perfectly  justified  in  administering  a 
sharp  rebuke,  which  he  had  done  when  they  met  at 
the  table. 

'  You  will  please  to  remember,  my  lad,  that,  if 
you  have  no  respect  for  yourself,  I  require  you  to 
respect  my  wife  and  myself,'  continued  Mr.  Hazell 
rather  haughtily.  '  If  you  cannot  conform  to  the  rules 
of  the  house,  you  must  leave  it — that's  all.  You 
should  take  an  example  by  your  brother,  sir,  who  is 
an  honour  to  all  connected  with  him.' 

'  Oh,  of  course,  pile  it  on ! '  sneered  Herbert,  with  a 
curious  gleam  in  his  eye.  '  Bob  always  was  a  saint, 
and  a  sneak  as  well' 

Mr.  Hazell's  temper  rose  again,  but  Robert  Hazell 
only  smiled.  He  did  not  at  all  mind  anything  Herbert 
said,  but  regarded  him  rather  as  a  spoiled  child  than 
anything  else. 

'Never  mind  him,  father,'  he  said  in  that  quiet, 
pleasant  way  of  his.  '  I  daresay  Herbert  will  be  sorry 
when  he  thinks  over  it,  and  will  do  differently  in 
future.  Mrs.  Hazell,  I  saw  some  roses  at  Clieveden 
yesterday  finer  than  yours.' 

'Did  you?  Tell  me  about  them,'  said  Mrs.  Hazell, 
lifting  a  quick,  grateful  glance  to  his  face.  He  had  a 
fine  tact,  and  often  changed  the  subject  when  it  grew 
distasteful  He  knew  that  the  jars  between  his  father 
and  his  younger  brother  were  disliked  and  dreaded  by 
his  father's  wife.  It  was  now  twelve  months  since  she 


to  HAZELL  <S-  SONS, 

had  come  to  Hazelwood,  and  but  for  these  jars,  which 
were  increasing  instead  of  diminishing,  she  would  have 
been  supremely  happy. 

'  Are  they  Lucy's  training  ? '  she  asked,  with  a 
little  humorous  smile.  'If  they  are,  I  give  up  the 
contest.' 

Eobert  Hazell  laughed. 

'  No,  they  are  only  Guy's/  he  answered.  '  Mrs. 
Meredith  says  he  is  neglecting  his  business  for  his 
flowers.  His  Marshal  Neils  are  simply  beyond 
description.' 

'  I  must  go  over  and  see  them.  More  coffee, 
Herbert?' 

'  No.' 

With  which  rude  refusal  Mr.  Herbert  pushed  back 
his  chair,  and  without  apology  left  the  room. 

'I  must  be  going  too,'  said  Eobert,  making  a  motion 
to  rise,  perhaps  to  cover  his  brother's  rudeness.  'Are 
you  coming  down  just  now,  father  ? ' 

'  I  will  follow  you  shortly.  See  that  Gregory's  order 
is  attended  to  this  morning,  will  you  ? ' 

'Yes.  Good  morning,  Mrs.  Hazell.'  So  saying, 
Eobert  Hazell  also  left  the  room. 

'This  cannot  go  on,  Eleanor,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  sternly, 
the  moment  the  door  closed  on  them.  'The  boy's 
insolence  is  insufferable.  I  think  I  must  set  him  out 
into  the  world  to  stand  on  his  own  responsibility. 
Things  are  much  too  easy  for  him  here.  He  has  too 
much  time  on  his  hands,  and  too  much  money  in  his 
pockets.' 

'  But  to  send  him  away  just  now  would  be  a  mistake, 


DISCORDS.  xi 

I  think/  said  his  wife  gently.  '  It's  not  the  best  thing 
to  turn  our  backs  on  the  erring,  is  it,  Robert  ? ' 

'  Well,  perhaps  not ;  but  you  know  I  have  tried  all 
ways  with  him,  Eleanor,  and  you  know  with  what 
results,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  irritably.  '.He  is  not  worth 
his  salt  at  the  brewery,  and  there  is  the  evil  of  his 
example  besides.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  thing  to  have 
one's  sons  drinking  and  gambling  with  one's  employees 
in  Medlington,  and  I  won't  have  it — in  that  I  am 
determined.' 

Eleanor  Hazell  sighed.  They  were  discussing  a 
vexed  question,  which  had  often,  often  made  dispeace 
in  Hazelwood.  She  had  her  own  thoughts  on  the 
subject,  but  she  was  by  nature  and  habit  timid  and 
reserved.  It  was  very  seldom  she  ventured  an  opinion, 
especially  one  opposed  to  that  expressed  by  her 
husband. 

'  I  am  in  hopes  that  Mary  will  be  able  to  do  some- 
thing with  him  when  she  comes  home,'  said  Mr.  Hazell 
presently.  '  They  were  always  chums,  and  she  bad  a 
great  influence  over  him.  By  the  by,  she'll  be  home 
in  a  day  or  two  now.  Isn't  it  to-morrow  Robert  goes 
off  to  Bonn  to  fetch  her  ? ' 

'  Yes,  to-morrow.' 

'  Why  that  sigh,  Eleanor  ?  Are  you  dreading  Mary's 
home-coming  ? ' 

'  Oh,  no,  not  dreading,  but  I  feel  anxious,  naturally 
anxious.  I  have  supplanted  her,  Robert.' 

'  Oh,  don't  talk  nonsense,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  in  his 
quick  way.  '  Supplanted  indeed  !  Mary  is  my  daugh- 
ter, no  dmiH.  but  this  is  my  house,  and  surely  I  am 


12  HAZELL  &>  SONS. 

master  of  my  own  actions.  I  hope  and  expect  that  she 
will  do  her  duty.  She  is  a  sensible  girl ;  I  am  sure 
you  will  like  her.  Her  brothers  adore  her.' 

'  I  know  they  do.  I  shall  try  to  do  my  duty  by  her, 
Eobert.  I  hope  we  shall  be  happy  together.' 

'  It  was  in  order  that  you  might  grow  accustomed  to 
Hazelwood,  and  feel  at  home  with  us  all  first,  that  I 
sent  Mary  abroad  for  a  year.  She  was  very  sensible 
about  it.  I  am  sure,  if  you  are  worrying  yourself  at 
all,  it  is  needlessly,  Eleanor.' 

'  I  am  not  worrying,  but  it  is  impossible  foi  me  not 
to  be  anxious  until  the  meeting  is  over.  Perhaps  I 
am  a  little  afraid  of  Mary.  If  she  is  at  all  like  her 
brothers,  she  must  be  a  clever  and  noble  woman,  Eobert.' 

'  Mary  clever  ?  Oh  yes,  she  is  a  splendid  linguist 
and  musician,  as  she  might  be,  considering  the  money  I 
have  spent  on  her  education.  She  is  a  trifle  high-flown 
and  sentimental,  like  all  schoolgirls.  But  she'll  marry 
soon,  I  fancy,  and,  I  expect,  become  a  practical  wife 
and  mother.' 

'  I  hope  she  will  not  marry  for  a  long  time,  Eobert. 
I  should  like  her  to  be  happy  in  her  father's  house  for 
a  while  before  she  marries.  If  she  improves  Herbert, 
it  will  be  delightful.' 

'  If  she  doesn't,  he  must  go,  that  is  all,'  said  Mr. 
Hazell  curtly.  '  Well,  I  must  go  too,  Eleanor.  Good- 
bye, and  don't  worry.  I  declare  these  children  are  a 
greater  care  now  than  when  they  were  in  the  nursery.' 

'  Only  Herbert.    Eobert  is  a  comfort  to  you — to  us  all.' 

'  Oh  yes,  Eobert  is  as  good  as  gold.  A  trifle  slow 
and  with  a  few  antiquated  notions  perhaps,  but  trust- 


DISCORDS.  13 

worthy  and  conscientious  —  a  great  matter  in  these 
degenerate  days,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  as  he  went  out  of  the 
room. 

When  she  was  left  alone,  Eleanor  Hazell  sat  still  a 
long  time  at  the  table,  pondering  certain  things  on  her 
mind.  She  was  a  sensitive  woman,  and  even  small  cares 
lay  heavy  on  her  heart  She  was  seriously  troubled 
about  her  husband's  younger  son.  They  did  not  get 
on  well  together,  nay,  there  were  constant  feuds  between 
them.  Herbert,  no  doubt,  was  indolent  and  careless ; 
but  Mr.  Hazell  was  hasty  and  harsh  in  rebuke,  and  had 
no  mercy  where  any  deviation  from  the  straight  line  of 
duty  was  involved.  Herbert  was  hot-tempered ;  but 
his  father  was  sometimes  unjust.  He  was  blamed  often 
without  cause ;  any  mistake  or  confusion  in  the  counting- 
house  was  sure  to  be  visited  on  the  ne'er-do-weel,  often 
without  any  investigation  being  made.  Even  Kobert 
Hazell,  steady,  diligent,  conscientious  as  he  was,  found 
it  hard  at  times  to  get  on  with  his  father.  They  differed 
on  a  hundred  points  of  opinion ;  but  there  was  this 
difference  between  the  two  sons :  the  elder  held  his 
peace,  and  never  forgot  to  be  respectful,  whereas  Herbert 
spoke  up,  whatever  occurred  to  him,  whether  it  was 
becoming  or  not.  Mr.  Hazell  was  a  self-made  man,  a 
man  of  great  business  power,  and  possessing  many  ad- 
mirable qualities,  but  he  had  an  overweening  pride,  a 
domineering  and  assertive  manner,  and  a  quick,  arrogant 
temper;  he  was  not,  therefore,  greatly  beloved  as  a 
master.  He  was  a  very  rich  man, — the  Hazell  brewery 
was  a  concern  well  worth  possessing, — but  he  was  hard 
in  money  matters,  and,  curiously  enough,  less  generous 


i<  HAZELL  <5r-  SONS. 

to  his  own  boys  than  to  the  strangers  in  his  employ. 
They  certainly  had  board  at  Hazelwood,  but  their  salary 
was  fixed  accordingly.  Although  Eobert  Hazell  was 
worth  his  weight  in  gold,  and  through  his  tact  and 
pleasant  way  with  the  men  kept  the  thing  going  smoothly 
and  profitably,  he  received  from  his  father  only  a  hundred 
a  year,  and  he  was  twenty-eight  years  old.  He  had 
accepted  his  position  meekly  for  a  long  time,  .but  the 
time  was  coming  for  him  to  speak. 

Herbert  Hazell  left  the  house  that  morning,  as  he 
often  did,  in  a  violent  temper.  The  delicious  breeze 
sweeping  up  from  the  river,  which  watered  the  spacious 
grounds  surrounding  the  brewer's  fine  residence,  scarcely 
cooled  the  angry  colour  in  the  young  man's  cheeks.  He 
was  oblivious  of  the  beauty  of  the  summer  morning, 
careless  of  the  magnificent  view  stretching  out  before 
him ;  he  walked  with  his  eyes  moodily  bent  on  the 
ground,  angrily  switching  the  heads  off  the  daisies  with 
his  cane  as  he  passed.  Eobert,  leaving  the  house  a  few 
minutes  after  him,  overtook  him  at  the  lodge  gates. 

'  You're  in  a  hurry,  Bertie,'  he  said  pleasantly.  '  Take 
it  easy ;  the  breakfast  hour  is  not  nearly  over.' 

An  ominous  grunt  was  Herbert's  only  answer. 

'  A  fine  morning,  isn't  it  ?  Glorious  weather  for  a 
holiday !  I  say,  Bertie,  you  might  go  to  Bonn  for  Molly 
instead  of  me ;  it  would  be  a  fine  change  for  you  ? ' 

'The  governor  would  cut  my  head  off  if  I  ventured  to 
suggest  it  might  be  my  turn  to  have  a  holiday.  No, 
the  German  trips  are  only  for  the  good  little  boys.' 

Eobert  laughed. 

'  You're  awfully  cross  this  morning,  Bertie/ 


DISCORDS.  15 

'So  would  you  be  if  you  were  treated  as  I  am.  I 
haven't  the  liberty  of  a  cat.  I  won't  be  dictated  to 
and  scolded  before  Mrs.  Hazell  as  I  was  to-day/  said 
Herbert  savagely.  '  She  rather  enjoys  it,  I  know, 
though  she  looks  so  mighty  soft.' 

'  You  are  not  just  to  her,  Bertie.  Besides,  she  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  matter ;  it  is  between  father  and 
you.  I  don't  wonder  he  is  angry.  It  is  not  a  very 
nice  thing  for  you  to  spend  your  earnings  at  the  "  Base- 
Ball  "  every  night  Is  it  now,  Bertie  ? ' 

'  Oh,  well,  there's  some  freedom  and  fun  there  any- 
way,' said  the  lad  moodily. 

'  Yes,  but  there's  something  else.  I  am  anxious 
about  you,  Bertie;  so  will  Molly  be  when  she  comes 
home.' 

'  Oh  yes,  they'll  tell  her  a  lot  of  lies  about  me,  and 
then  she'll  turn  against  me,  and  I  won't  care  what 
becomes  of  me.  She  believes  in  me  yet,  anyway. 
There's  no  difference  in  her  letters,'  said  the  lad,  with  a 
strange  mixture  of  indignation  and  tenderness.  Robert 
had  touched  a  very  soft  place  in  his  heart. 

'  I'll  tell  you  what,  Bert,  you'll  go  to  Bonn  to-morrow 
instead  of  me.  I'll  make  it  all  right  with  father.' 

'  I'd  like  to,  but  he  said  I  wasn't  fit  to  have  the  care 
of  my  sister.  By  Jove,  I  won't  forget  that  in  a  hurry ! 
Not  fit  to  take  care  of  Molly,  when  she's  my  chum  ! ' 

'  Oh,  he  only  spoke  hastily,  and  did  not  mean  any- 
thing by  it  Don't  brood  on  it ;  you'll  enjoy  the  trip 
immensely.' 

'  But  it's  yours  by  right ;  you've  worked  so  jolly  hard 
all  summer.  You're  a  good  sort,  Bob ! ' 


i6 


RAZELL 


SOWS. 


'  So  are  you,  Bert,  when  you  are  yourself,'  said  the 
elder  brother  affectionately,  and  their  hands  met  in  a 
warm,  brotherly  grip.  There  was  great  good  in  Herbert 
Hazell ;  but  he  was  just  on  the  brink,  and  needed 
wise  and  loving  guiding  to  establish  him  in  the 
upright  path. 


CHAPTER  IT. 


MARY  HAZELL, 

a  fine  summer  morning  two  girls  were  sitting 
in  the  pleasant  garden  of  a  commodious 
chateau  in  the  Coblenzer  Strasse  at  Bonn. 
The  chateau  pertained  to  Madame  Gebhardt, 
and,  though  the  establishment  was  a  school  where  the 
tuition  was  good  and  the  discipline  firmly  maintained, 
it  was  likewise  a  home  to  all  the  pupils.  They  were 
chiefly  English  girls,  for  Madame  Gebhardt  had  made  a 
reputation  abroad.  She  was  a  large-hearted,  motherly 
woman,  and  no  better  proof  of  her  merits  was  to  be 
found  than  in  the  fact  that  every  holiday  time  brought 
one  or  two  former  pupils  back  to  pay  a  visit  to  their 
old  quarters  in  the  Coblenzer  Strasse.  No  lovelier 
situation  could  be  found  than  that  on  which  the  Chateau 
Gebhardt  stood.  It  was  on  the  face  of  a  hill,  and 
commanded  a  view  of  picturesque  Bonn,  the  winding, 
beautiful  river  beyond,  and  the  vine-clad  slopes  of  the 
hills  on  the  opposite  bank.  On  a  clear  morning — and 
if  is  nearly  always  clear  in  that  sunny  land — the  seven 
mountains  at  Konigswinter  could  be  seen,  with  the 

2 


r 8  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

picturesque  Castle  of  the  Drachenfels  standing  on  its 
commanding  height 

The  two  companions,  sitting  together  on  the  terrace, 
under  the  grateful  shadow  of  a  chestnut  tree,  were 
watching  for  the  steamboat  coming  up  the  river  from 
Cologne.  They  had  just  observed  it  gliding  round  the 
curve  at  Konigswinter,  and  had  laid  their  glasses  on  an 
empty  chair  beside  them.  They  were  both  young,  just 
on  the  threshold  of  womanhood,  and  they  were  close 
and  dear  friends,  though  there  was,  outwardly  at  least, 
little  in  common  between  them.  Mary  Hazell  was  the 
taller  of  the  two — a  handsome,  graceful  girl,  with  a 
clear  and  beautiful  complexion,  bright  brown  hair,  and 
a  pair  of  large,  calm,  grey  eyes.  There  was  a  dignity 
and  repose  in  her  whole  bearing  which  might  have 
belonged  to  one  twice  her  years.  Her  movements  were 
quiet,  but  graceful  and  ladylike;  she  looked  like  one 
who  had  had  a  large  experience  of  life — but  she  was 
only  a  schoolgirl,  in  her  twenty-first  year. 

Her  companion  was  of  small,  insignificant  stature, 
and  her  figure  was  not  in  any  way  enhanced  by  the 
shabby  black  dress  slie  wore.  Her  face  was  sallow  and 
large-featured  ;  her  black  hair  coiled  low  at  her  neck 
gave  the  appearance  of  too  much  weight  to  the  head. 

But  the  undoubted  plainness  of  her  features  was 
redeemed  by  the  beauty  of  her  eyes,  which  was  remark- 
able. I  cannot  describe  it — because  it  was  the  beauty 
of  expression  rather  than  of  form  or  colour,  though 
those  were  in  keeping.  A  soul  looked  out  from  these 
eyes — the  soul  of  a  woman  who  had  suffered,  but  had 
retained  the  highest  ideal  of  life.  She  was  Madeline 


MARY  HAZELL.  19 

or  Lena  Rayne,  only  an  English  governess  at  the 
Chateau  Gebhardt,  but  the  friend  of  Mary  Hazell, 
the  sweet  English  girl,  who  was  the  greatest  favourite 
in  the  school. 

'  I  cannot  really  believe  that  it  is  at  an  end,  and  that 
I  have  no  more  lessons  to  learn,  Lena,'  said  Mary  Hazell, 
leaning  her  soft  white  hand  against  her  cheek. 

'  Except  the  lessons  of  life,  in  comparison  with  which 
school-tasks  are  only  play,'  Lena  Eayne  answered,  more 
to  herself  than  to  her  friend. 

'  Perhaps  you  are  right.  I  shall  be  sorry  to  leave  dear 
Bonn,'  said  Mary,  and  her  eyes  filled.  '  But  I  feel  that 
I  can  learn  nothing  more  here,  and  that  it  is  time  I  led 
a  more  active  life.  I  have  great  plans  for  the  future,  Lena.' 

'  Yes.  Tell  me  what  they  are,'  said  the  governess, 
with  a  slight,  sweet  smile,  as  she  folded  her  hands  in 
her  lap.  She  had  ceased  to  plan,  and  now  lived  in  the 
life  of  others.  There  were  times  when  she  told  herself 
that  her  life-work  seemed  to  be  done — if,  indeed,  any 
had  ever  been  ordered  for  her.  She  was  quiescent  in 
her  present  state,  but  not  happy. 

'  Oh,  there  are  so  many  it  would  take  days  to  tell 
them.  Some  of  them  are  quixotic,  but  all  of  them 
point  in  the  right  way.  I  mean  to  do  some  good  in 
Medlington,  Lena.' 

'  Yes.      Tell  me  how.' 

'  Oh,  I  can  hardly  specify  ;  I  shall  find  ways  and 
means.  I  have  heard  you  say  often  that  we  find  the 
way  when  the  heart  is  willing.  You  have  not  gone 
back  on  that  old  teaching,  have  you  \ '  asked  Mary,  with 
a  smile. 


ao  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  No.  It  is  true.  I  hope  your  way  will  be  sunny 
and  untroubled  all  your  days,  Mary,'  said  the  governess, 
with  evident  emotion. 

'  I  wonder  if  that  is  a  good  hope,  Lena,'  said  Mary 
Hazell,  and  her  sweet  face  grew  earnest  and  grave. 
'  Do  you  not  think  we  need  other  things  than  sunshine 
to  develop  our  characters  ?  I  sometimes  think  we  are 
just  like  the  flowers,  to  whom  the  "  useful  trouble  of 
the  rain  "  is  absolutely  essential* 

'  That  is  a  beautiful  thought,  and  a  true  one,  Mary ; 
but  one  cannot  help  wishing  the  very  best  for  those  one 
loves.' 

'  You  cannot,  Lena,  you  are  so  unselfish,'  said  Mary 
Hazell  involuntarily,  and  she  laid  her  hand  on  that  of 
her  friend  as  she  spoke.  '  I  wonder  when  your  turn  for 
the  sunshine  is  to  come  ? ' 

'  In  God's  time  ;  and,  if  never,  then  that  will  be  best,' 
said  the  governess  simply,  and  as  if  the  words  were  but 
the  expression  of  a  heart's  conviction.  '  I  should  like 
to  hear  something  definite  about  your  plans,  Mary,  so 
that  I,  working  here,  may  be  able  to  picture  you  working 
yonder — both,  I  trust,  for  the  same  end.  We  have 
pledged  ourselves,  have  we  not,  to  do  what  we  can 
earnestly,  and,  as  we  have  opportunity,  to  make  our 
own  lives  noble,  and  those  of  others  as  happy  as  our 
influence  can  make  them  ? ' 

'Yes,'  answered  Mary  Hazell,  as  her  eyes  watched 
the  flashing  of  the  sunlight  on  the  swift-flowing  Ehine, 
— '  yes,  we  have.' 

Perhaps  as  she  spoke  a  vague  premonition  that  she 
was  about  to  begin  the  ascent  of  the  Hill  of  Difficulty 


MARY  HAZELL.  ai 

touched  her  heart.  '  I  cannot  be  very  definite  until  I 
go  home,  Lena.  I  fancy  it  will  depend  entirely  upon 
my  position  in  my  father's  house  as  to  the  exact  nature 
of  the  work  I  may  undertake.  I  have  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  Mrs.  Hazell  on  the  very  threshold  of 
my  new  life.' 

'  Yes,  but  I  think  she  will  be  a  help  to  you,  and  you 
to  her.  Is  it  among  the  poor  of  the  town  you  intend 
to  work  ? ' 

'Yes ;  there  are  a  great  many  poor  people  in  Med- 
lington,  and  a  great  many  miserable  and  hopeless  lives. 
It  is  over-populated,  and  the  depression  in  trade  has 
painfully  affected  it.  Some  of  the  works  have  been 
closed  for  months.' 

'  Ah,  then,  you  will  find  enough  to  do.  I  do  not 
want  to  bring  our  conversation  to  an  end,  Mary,  but 
had  you  not  better  go  down  to  the  pier  now  ?  See,  the 
steamer  has  passed  Rheinberg.' 

'  Oh  yes,  I  must  go.  Where  is  the  glass  ?  I  believe 
I  can  distinguish  Herbert  on  the  deck.  I  shall  delight  to 
introduce  my  brother  to  you.  He  is  a  handsome  fellow.' 

'  He  must  be,  if  he  is  like  you,'  said  the  governess, 
with  a  smile.  The  compliment  was  sincere.  She  thought 
Mary  Hazell  one  of  the  loveliest  girls  she  had  ever  seen. 

'  Such  sweet  words  won't  fit  me  for  the  stern  battle 
of  life,  Lena,'  Mary  said  merrily.  '  Come,  get  your  hat, 
Lena,  and  let  us  go  down  together.  Herbert  and  I  will 
have  plenty  of  time  to  talk  family  matters  on  the  way 
.home.  I  cannot  understand  why  he  should  have  come 
instead  of  Robert.  I  hope  there  is  nothing  wrong  with 
him. 


22  HAZELL  6r»  SONS. 

The  holiday  season  had  begun,  and  even  Lena  Kayne 
vvns  free  to  dispose  of  the  greater  part  of  her  time  as 
she  pleased.  She  had  a  few  duties  to  perform  for 
Madame  in  return  for  her  board  during  the  recess,  for 
t:he  English  governess  had  no  home  and  no  friends  with 
whom  to  spend  the  time  to  which  her  pupils  looked 
forward  so  joyously.  Perhaps  she  had  grown  accustomed 
to  the  loneliness  of  her  life,  to  the  lack  of  the  close, 
sweet  human  relationships  and  interests  her  nature 
could  so  dearly  have  prized ;  but  there  were  occasional 
moments  when  her  heart  failed  her,  when  she  felt  that 
the  days  were  a  burden  and  a  weariness,  and  that  there 
was  no  soul  on  earth  so  desolate  as  she.  The  friend- 
ship of  Mary  Hazell  had  been  like  a  heaven-sent  gift  to 
the  governess,  and  she  dreaded  the  year  to  come  when 
the  Chateau  Gebhardt  would  be  rid  of  that  bright, 
presence.  Though  Mary  Hazell  was  a  thoughtful  girl, 
she  was  neither  dull  nor  morbid.  Her  mind  was  per- 
fectly healthy — she  had  a  keen  sense  of  humour  and  a 
happy  disposition,  and  she  was  neither  frivolous  nor 
flippant.  She  had  early  begun  to  study  the  problems 
of  existence,  and  had  a  high  ideal  of  life.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  have  a  noble  ideal ;  even  though  we  may  never 
reach  it,  there  is  much  that  beautifies  and  ennobles  in 
the  very  striving.  It  is  always  glorious  to  look  up.  I 
would  have  every  young  heart  take  Excelsior  for  a 
watchword. 

The  two  friends,  arm  in  arm,  went  down  the  shady 
walk  through  the  pleasant  gardens,  and  reached  the  pier 
just  as  the  steamer  touched  it.  It  was  crowded  with 
passengers,  the  season  having  commenced  propitiously. 


MARY  FTAZELL.  23 

but  in  a  moment  Mary's  quick  eye  detected  her  brother's 
handsome  figure  among  the  crowd.  Lena  Rayne  drew 
back  when  he  stepped  on  the  gangway,  and  turned 
away  her  head,  not  wishing  to  intrude  on  their  meeting. 
Then  she  began  to  move  slowly  on  again  towards  the 
garden  gate,  leaving  them  to  follow. 

'Holloa,  Molly,  you  are  looking  grand,' said  Herbert 
Hazell  in  his  off-hand  way,  as  he  took  his  sister  on  his 
arm.  '  And  how  are  you  ? ' 

'  Oh,  delightfully  well,  as  everybody  is  here.  Isn't 
Bonn  lovely  ?  But  why  did  you  sail  up  from  Cologne, 
you  stupid  boy  ?  Confess  you  saw  nothing.' 

'  Saw  !  I've  been  perfectly  savage.  How  dare  they 
perpetrate  such  a  fraud  on  the  public.  It  should  be 
exposed.' 

'  But  all  the  Rhine  worth  seeing  is  between  Bonn 
and  Mayence.  You  should  have  corne  here  by  train. 
But  never  mind.  How  are  they  all,  and  why  did  you 
come  instead  of  Bob  ? ' 

'  Oh,  Bob  sent  me.  The  governor  and  I  have  not 
been  sailing  in  the  same  boat  lately,  and  there's  a  dry- 
ness,  to  put  it  mildly,'  said  Herbert. 

'  What  about  ?  I  am  afraid  it  must  be  your  fault, 
Bertie ;  papa  is  so  good.' 

'  He  used  to  be  when  we  were  little.  He  forgets 
that  we  have  grown  just  a  trifle  beyond  his  authority. 
I  don't  think  I'm  going  to  stay  at  home  after  this 
summer,'  said  Herbert,  with  a  lofty  indifference. 

'  Not  stay  at  home  '. '  echoed  Mary  blankly.  This 
was  bad  news  to  meet  her  at  the  outset  '  Why,  where 
would  you  go  ? ' 


i4  &AZELL  6-  SONS. 

1  Colonies/  answered  Herbert  briefly. 

'  Oh,  Bertie  Hazell,  you'll  never  do  such  a  thing ! ' 

'  Won't  I  ?  I'm  not  going  to  be  treated  like  a  child. 
Besides,  what  do  we  get  at  home  ?  There's  Bob,  as 
sweet  as  he  can  be  on  Lucy  Meredith,  and  can't  say  a 
word  because  he  hasn't  a  sixpence  to  bless  himself 
with.' 

'  Lucy  Meredith  !  Oh,  how  nice !  She  is  a  dear  girl,' 
said  Mary,  with  all  a  girl's  ready  interest  in  a  love 
affair.  '  I  cannot  imagine  Bob ;  he's  so  quiet  and 
staid.' 

'  Not  like  me — falling  in  love  with  every  pretty 
face,'  laughed  Herbert  in  his  careless  way.  '  Say, 
who's  this  old  party  hanging  about  before  us  ?  Not 
your  school-marm,  is  it  ? 

'  Oh  no ;  that  is  Lena  Eayne.' 

'  That  the  paragon  you've  been  raving  about  this 
long  time  ?  Well,  my  dear,  she  may  be  good,  but,  even 
by  stretching  the  imagination,  she  could  not  be  called 
beautiful.' 

'Hush;  she  will  hear  you.  You  will  think  her 
lovely  when  you  know  her.  Before  we  get  to  her, 
Bert,  do  you  think  I  could  take  it  upon  me  to  invite 
her  to  Hazel  wood  ? ' 

'Why  should  you  not? 

'  Oh,  you  know,  would  Mrs.  Hazell  like  it  ? ' 

'  Oh,  I  think  she  would ;  she's  hospitable  enough ; 
but  I  can't  say  I  admire  your  taste  in  friends,  Mary. 
What  a  dowdy  ! ' 

Mary's  cheeks  were  naturally  a  little  red  when 
presently  she  was  called  upon  to  introduce  a  friend  to 


MARY  HAZELL.  *S 

her  brother.  At  that  moment  it  seemed  to  Mary's 
vexed  spirit  Lena  Rayne  showed  to  the  least  possible 
advantage.  Her  manner  was  stiff  and  constrained — her 
very  expression  seemed  dull  and  uninterested. 

Altogether,  Herbert  had  succeeded  in  a  very  few 
minutes  in  putting  his  sister  thoroughly  out  of  sorts. 
Herbert  Hazell  paid  very  little  attention  to  Lena  Rayne 
that  morning  at  Bonn.  I  do  not  suppose  one  of  the 
three  had  the  faintest  prevision  what  influence  she  was 
to  exert  on  his  future  life.  There  came  a  time,  how- 
ever, when  Herbert  Hazell  blessed  the  day  he  had  first 
seen  Madeline  Rayne. 

1 1  am  afraid  things  are  not  just  quite  harmonious  at 
home,  Lena/  said  Mary  Hazell  an  hour  later,  when  she 
was  gathering  the  last  of  her  belongings  together  in  the 
little  room  on  the  balcony,  where  many  a  night  they 
had  watched  the  Rhine  by  moonlight,  and  discussed  life 
in  all  its  bearings.  '  I  have  a  feeling  as  if  I  were  going 
home  to  a  great  deal  of  worry.' 

'  If  so,  don't  anticipate  it.  Time  enough  to  face  it 
when  you  cannot  help  it,'  said  Lena  cheerfully.  '  You 
have  decided  to  go  straight  home ;  you  are  disappointed 
in  your  trip  up  to  Mayence  ? ' 

'  Yes.  It  is  most  unaccountable  of  papa  not  to  have 
sent  any  money ;  I  can't  understand  it.  Bertie  and  he 
have  been  quarrelling,  I  fear.  Isn't  it  horrid  ? ' 

'  Perhaps  you  will  smooth  all  unpleasantness  away, 
as  you  have  so  often  done  here,'  said  the  governess. 
'  You  will  not  forget  me,  Mary  ? ' 

'  How  dare  you  ask  such  a  question  ? '  asked  Mary 
Huzi-.ll  quickly,  and  her  bright  eyes  grew  dim.  '  Now, 


26  HAZELL  &•  SONS. 

Lena,  promise  me  that  if  I  say  come,  you  will  come 
Of  course  I  do  not  know  how  things  will  be  at  home 
but  I  hope,  and  I  think,  everything  will  be  right 
Hazelwood  used  to  be  a  very  hospitable  house.' 

'  When  you  send  for  me,  I  will  come,  Mary.  Good- 
bye. God  bless  you/  said  Madeline,  and  for  a  moment 
emotion  overcame  her.  * 

'  Good-bye.  God  bless  you  for  all  you  have  been  and 
done  for  me,  Madeline  Rayne.  You  have  made  me  a 
better  woman.  Anything  worthy  I  may  be.  or  do,  my 
darling,  I  shall  owe  to  you.' 


CHAPTER  HI. 


THE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH. 

HE  supper  tray  had  just  been  brought  into  the 
drawing-room.  As  the  maid  set  it  on  the 
table  and  withdrew,  the  timepiece  chimed 
the  half-hour  after  ten.  Mr.  Hazell  threw 
aside  the  magazine  he  had  been  readiug,  and  sat  up  in 
his  chair. 

'Shut  the  piano,  Mary,  and  let  us  have  a  mouthful 
of  supper  and  get  to  bed,'  he  said  in  his  quick  way. 
'  Eleanor,  what  will  you  take  ? ' 

'  Milk,  if  Kitty  has  brought  it  Is  there  any  there, 
Mary  ? ' 

'Yes,  mamma  ;  here  it  is.' 

Mary  rose,  set  a  glass  of  milk  on  a  small  salver,  and 
carried  it  to  Mrs.  Hazell's  sofa.  She  was  not  strong, 
and  of  late  had  been  obliged  to  spend  the  greater  part 
of  the  day  on  the  sofa.  She  was  a  sweet,  uncomplaining 
invalid,  who  gave  as  little  trouble  as  possible,  and  was 
grateful  for  every  small  attention. 

'  Thank  you,  my  love,'  she  said,  as  she  took  the  glass 
from  Mary's  hand.  Their  eyes  met  in  a  smile  of 


a  8  HAZELL  &  SONS, 

i 
mutual  love.     Between  these  two  women  there  Was  an 

absolute  understanding  and  an  absolute  trust.  Mary 
Hazell  had  found  in  her  father's  wife  an  abiding  and 
precious  friend. 

'  A  biscuit,  mamma  ?  Here  are  some  of  cook's 
famous  cocoa  chips.  Do  have  one  ? ' 

'  No,  thank  you.     What  is  Eobert  busy  with  ? ' 

'  The  dissipation  of  a  novel,  I  think,'  returned  Mary, 
glancing  at  the  corner  where  Eobert  sat,  apparently 
engrossed  in  the  book  he  held  in  his  hand, — only 
apparently ;  in  reality  he  was  thinking  of  something 
more  serious  than  an  imaginary  love-story. 

'  I  didn't  want  anything,  thank  you,'  he  said  quietly, 
and,  rising  from  his  chair,  looked  out  of  the  window. 
'  It  is  a  wet  night,'  he  added  ;  '  that  southerly  wind  will 
blow  a  gale  before  morning.' 

'  No  fear  of  it.  We  haven't  many  gales  in  September,' 
said  Mr.  Hazell,  as  he  finished  his  repast  '  A  little 
sherbet,  Mary?' 

'  Oh  no,  thank  you,  papa,'  answered  the  girl  quickly, 
and  the  colour  rose  slightly  in  her  cheek. 

'  You  are  all  very  abstemious,'  he  said.  '  Eleanor, 
there  is  nothing  in  that  acid  draught  to  refresh  you. 
You  ought  to  have  some  wine  in  it.  Let  me  ring 
for  some.' 

'  No,  thank  you,  Eobert.  I  like  it  as  it  is,'  returned 
his  wife. 

'  If  everybody  followed  the  example  of  my  household, 
we  might  shut  up  shop,  eh,  Bob  ?  Well,  if  you  have  all 
done,  we'd  better  go.  Lock  the  door,  Eobert,  as  you  go 
down.' 


THE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH.          29 

'  But,  papa,  Bertie  has  not  come  in,'  Mary  said 
quickly. 

'  Put  the  bolts  in  as  well,'  added  Mr.  Hazell,  ignoring 
her  protest.  '  Are  you  ready  to  go  up-stairs,  Eleanor  ? ' 

'  Yes,  but  the  door  must  not  be  locked  till  Herbert 
conies  in,  dear.  There  is  no  use  troubling  the  servants.' 

'  They  will  not  be  troubled,'  answered  Mr.  Hazell 
grimly.  '  They  have  had  their  orders.  Wait  till  eleven, 
Robert,  and  then  do  as  I  have  told  you.  Good-night, 
Mary.' 

Mary  Hazell's  face  was  wet  with  tears  as  she  received 
her  father's  good-night  kiss. 

'  Oh,  papa,  don't  lock  him  out ! '  she  pleaded.  '  Let 
me  sit  up  for  him.' 

'My  patience  is  quite  exhausted.  I  have  warned 
him  in  vain,  and  I  must  show  my  authority  in  some 
fashion,'  was  Mr.  Hazell's  curt  rejoinder.  '  Remember 
the  bolts,  Robert.' 

'  Very  well.  Good-night,'  Robert  answered.  '  Good- 
night, Mrs.  Hazell.' 

Mary  threw  herself  into  a  low  rocking-chair,  and  her 
tears  flowed  in  earnest.  Her  brother  came  to  the 
hearth,  and  stood  leaning  against  the  mantelshelf  with 
his  arms  folded  across  his  chest.  His  brows  were  knit, 
his  fine  eyes  troubled  in  their  depths. 

'Don't  distress  yourself  so,  Molly,'  he  said  kindly. 
'  Let  us  talk  over  this  unhappy  business.  What  is  tp 
be  done  now  ? ' 

'  I  don't  know,  Bob.  Papa  is  so  dreadfully  hard  on 
Bertie.  I  believe  it  makes  him  worse.' 

'  He  is  a  little  hard,  but  he  has  grave  reason  to  be 


30  HAZELL  &•  SOWS. 

displeased.  I  am  afraid  the  lad  is  completely  led  away 
Nothing  seems  to  influence  him,'  said  the  elder  brother 
sadly. 

Both  were  silent  for  a  moment.  Curiously,  or, 
perhaps,  naturally  enough,  the  thoughts  of  each  had  run 
into  one  groove. 

'  Bob,  is  it  for  Bertie's  sake  you  take  jiothing  ?  1 
have  noticed  of  late  that  you  do  not  even  taste  wine 
at  dinner.' 

'  Yes,  that  is  my  reason.  I  wish  papa  could  see 
that  it  would  be  better  not  to  have  it  in  the  nouse.' 

'  Have  you  ever  spoken  of  it  to  him  ? ' 

'  Never.     He  would  resent  it,  I  am  sure.' 

Mary  Hazell  said  no  more  for  a  few  moments.  By 
slow  degrees  various  convictions  were  coming  home  to 
her.  She  had  begun  of  late  to  study  cause  and  effect, 
with  the  result  that  she  was  discontented  and  miserable. 
She  had  begun  to  have  grave  doubts  about  the  business 
which  bore  her  father's  name.  In  her  endeavours  to  be 
loyal  to  him,  she  had  tried  to  banish  these  doubts,  but 
they  were  often  uppermost  in  her  mind. 

'  I  should  be  afraid  to  interfere.  Papa  is  very 
different  from  what  he  used  to  be,'  she  said  presently. 
'  But  I  could  ask  mamma  to  speak  about  it  to  him. 
She  is  on  our  side,  I  know.' 

'  Mrs.  Hazell  is  not  without  cares,'  said  Eobert,  with 
a  slight  smile.  '  Those  who  blamed  her  for  marrying 
for  money  and  position  need  not  envy  her.  But  she  is 
a  sweet  woman.  I  have  the  highest  admiration  and 
respect  for  her.' 

'  I  love  her/  said  Mary  warmly.      *  Do  you  knovs 


THE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH.          31 

what  I  have  thought,  sometimes,  Bob  ?  that  if  Bertie 
would  fall  in  love  with  some  nice  girl  it  would  steady 
him.' 

'  I  believe  it  would ;  but  he  does  not  seem  to  have 
met  that  nice  girl  yet.  I  wish  some  influence  would 
work  with  him.  I  am  afraid,  Molly,  that  as  long  as 
he  remains  here  he  has  no  chance.  He  has  not  the 
courage,  even  if  he  had  the  desire,  to  break  with  his 
bad  companions,  and  then  father  is  entirely  out  of 
sympathy  with  him.  He  will  not  even  give  him  the 
credit  for  the  slightest  leaning  towards  anything  good. 
A  man  soon  loses  his  own  self-respect  when  he  sees 
himself  contemptible  in  the  eyes  of  others.' 

'  That  is  true.  I  cannot  understand  papa,  Bob.  He 
is  so  very  different :  he  is  not  like  the  same  man. 
Hasn't  he  grown  irritable  and  changeable,  and  so  hard 
of  heart  ?  What  do  you  suppose  has  so  changed 
him  ?' 

Robert  Hazell  shook  his  head.  He  knew  the  reason 
very  well,  but  one  care  lay  heavily  enough  on  his 
sister's  heart.  No  need  to  add  another  to  it. 

'  Bob,  is  there  any  truth  in  what  Bertie  told  me  at 
Bonn  in  Juue,  that  you  admire  Lucy  Meredith  ?'  asked 
Mary,  with  a  smile  and  slightly  heightened  colour. 
'  If  we  had  not  been  away  at  Sandgate  these  two 
months,  I  should  have  found  out  for  myself  by  this 
time.  Do  tell  me.' 

'  Yes,  I  admire  Lucy  Meredith,  Mary.  If  I  were  in 
a  position,  I  should  ask  her  to-morrow  to  be  my  wife.' 

'  But  you  can  be  in  a  position  if  you  like,  Robert. 
Papa  will  make  you  a  partner,  I  am  sure.  He  is  very 


32  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

rich,  is  he  not  ?  and  the  brewery  can  easily  support 
two  establishments.' 

'  There  is  plenty  of  money  in  the  concern  certainly, 
Mary ;  but  I  don't  think  I  could  or  would  take  a 
partnership  in  it.' 

1  Why  not  ? ' 

She  spoke  eagerly,  almost  dreading  to  hear  from 
him  a  confirmation  of  her  own  fear.  If  Eobert,  who 
was  always  right  in  his  judgments,  had  arrived  at  the 
conclusion  that  the  business  in  which  their  father  had 
made  his  money  was  a  doubtful  concern,  she  would 
feel  as  if  the  foundation  of  things  were  being  shaken. 
It  would  involve  so  many  vexed  questions,  for  which  it 
would  be  difficult  to  find  an  answer. 

'  I  don't  know  whether  it  is  Herbert's  frailty,  Mary ; 
but  I  do  know  I  have  had  some  curious  thoughts  of 
late.  If  I  could  have  chosen  my  career,  it  would  have 
been  different.' 

'  But  you  could  never  leave  the  brewery  now,  Bob. 
Papa  is  getting  an  old  man,  and  Bertie  so  unsteady. 
It  would  not  be  right  to  leave  him.' 

'  That  is  just  the  point  I  cannot  decide,  Mary.' 

'  It  is  the  Merediths  who  have  given  you  these  ideas,' 
she  said  quickly,  forgetting  her  own  qualms  in  her 
anxiety  to  set  her  brother  right  regarding  his  duty  to 
his  father.  '  Aren't  they  teetotallers  ? ' 

'  Yes,  but  I  have  never  had  any  trouble  with  them 
on  the  subject,'  returned  Eobert  quietly.  'No,  it  is 
nothing  any  one  has  said,  Mary.  It  is  a  settled  con- 
viction which  has  made  me  a  very  unhappy  man  of 
late.' 


1HE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH,    33 

Mary  sighed. 

'  How  full  of  care  life  is,  Robert !  I  sometimes  wish 
I  had  never  grown  up.  I  came  home  anxious  to  do 
some  good  in  the  world,  but  there  seem  to  be  hindrances 
on  every  side.' 

'  Don't  be  so  doleful,  Molly ;  you  do  a  great  deal  of 
good.  Why,  you  are  the  sunshine  of  this  house.' 

'  Am  I  ?  I  don't  feel  very  like  it.  Are  you  going 
to  sit  up  for  Bertie  ? ' 

'  Of  course.' 

•  And  let  him  in  ? ' 

•  Yes ;  why  not  ? ' 

'  But  I  thought  papa  very  peremptory.' 

•  Oh,  he  would  be  the  first  to  regret  his  harshness  in 
the  morning  if  it  were  carried  out,'  said  Eobert  lightly. 
'  Go  you  to  bed,  Mary ;  you  look  very  tired.' 

'  Yes,  I  am  going,'  she  said,  rising  reluctantly  to  her 
feet.  '  Bob,  what  is  it  Bertie  does  when  he  is  out  so 
late  ?  Where  does  he  spend  his  time  ? ' 

'  Between  the  "  Base-Ball "  and  a  billiard  club  in 
Sand  ford  Street.  Chiefly  at  the  latter  place,  I  fancy. 
He  is  a  lucky  player,  evidently,  though  I  have  never 
spoken  to  him  on  the  subject.  He  must  win,  however, 
or  they  would  not  keep  him  there.  He  could  not  pay 
up  his  losses.' 

'And  who  are  his  companions ? ' 

'  Don't  ask  me,  Molly ;  it  would  not  make  you  any 
happier.     Run  off  to  bed.     Good-night.' 
.    '  Good-night,  Bob.     What  a  comfort  you  are ! '   she 
said    affectionately,    as    she    laid    her   hands    on    his 
shoulders    to    bid    him    good -night.      Then    she    went 

3 


34  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

slowly  up-stairs  to  her  own  room,  and  sat  down  at  the 
window,  leaned  her  arm  on  the  sill,  and  looked  out 
into  the  night.  A  harvest  moon  had  risen  gloriously  in 
the  clear  sky.  Every  object,  even  for  miles  round,  was 
clearly  discernible.  She  could  have  counted  the  steeples 
in  Medlington,  and  could  almost  distinguish  the  hour  on 
the  town-hall  clock.  She  admired  the  prospect  in  a 
half-hearted  way,  for  her  thoughts  were  with  the  prodigal 
who  was  causing  such  anxiety  and  dispeace  in  the  house. 
We  may  take  a  peep  at  his  occupation  and  surroundings. 

The  streets  of  Medlington  were  almost  empty.  The 
policemen  and  the  night  wanderers  had  the  town  to 
themselves.  The  public-houses,  however,  were  not  yet 
closed,  and  when  their  frequenters  were  turned  out  the 
scene  no  doubt  would  be  livelier.  The  '  Base-Ball '  was 
the  favourite  place  of  refreshment  in  Medlington,  and 
was  largely  frequented  by  young  men.  It  was  con- 
sidered a  most  respectable  house,  and  never  was  the 
scene  of  any  disorderly  proceedings.  But  the  harm  done 
by  that  select  and  decorous  establishment  was  a  thousand 
times  more  insidious  than  in  the  lower  class  shops.  It 
had  been  the  ruin  of  many  members  of  the  youth  of 
Medlington.  It  was  situated  in  a  quiet  street,  within 
a  stone's  throw  of  the  Hazell  brewery.  That  gigantic 
structure,  which  occupied  nearly  half  an  acre  of  ground 
in  the  most  thickly-populated  part  of  the  town,  loomed 
like  a  vast  shadow  over  the  place.  It  was  a  great 
industry  of  its  kind,  and  gave  employment  to  more  than 
a  thousand  hands. 

At  half- past  ten  on  the  night  when  Mr.  Hazell  had 
given  peremptory  orders  that  Herbert  should  be  locked 


THE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH.          35 

out,  that  you  ML;  111:111  was  enjoying  himself  in  his  own 
fashion  in  a  certain  upper  chamber  not  very  far  from 
the  '  Base-Ball.'  It  was  the  billi;ird-room,  or,  more 
properly  speaking,  the  gambling  club  alluded  to  by 
Ifubert  Hazell.  Although  not  generally  known,  this 
club  was  a  part  of  the  '  Base-Ball '  concern,  and  all 
belonged  to  a  widow  lady  who  had  a  reputation  for 
piety  and  good  works.  She  did  not  come  much  into 
the  vicinity  of  the  '  Base-Ball '  or  the  club-rooms,  her 
only  connection  with  these  institutions  being  that  she 
drew  in  the  handsome  revenues  accruing  from  them. 
These  she  spent  lavishly,  not  only  on  her  tasteful  and 
beautiful  home  in  the  suburbs,  but  on  charitable  and 
religious  objects.  The  Church  knew  her  as  a  munificent 
benefactress,  and  worshipped  her  accordingly  ;  she  lived 
in  an  odour  of  sanctity  and  honour ;  none  of  the  vile 
odours  or  questionable  attributes  of  the  twin  establish- 
ments in  Sandford  Street  were  permitted  to  touch  her 
She  had  a  manager  who  did  all  unpleasant  things  for 
her,  and  if  he  feathered  his  own  nest  in  the  process 
well,  perhaps  it  was  excusable.  The  profits  left  a  margin 
considerable  enough  to  allow  even  Miles  Gregory  to  help 
himself. 

The  club-room  was  approached  by  an  unpretending 
doorway  judiciously  darkened,  so  as  not  to  attract 
attention. 

The  door  was  locked,  and  only  opened  in  response  to 
a  familiar  signal,  known  only  to  those  who  frequented 
Uie  place.  Within  this  door  there  was  a  narrow  stair, 
dimly  lighted  by  a  shaded  oil  lamp,  hung  from  the  roof. 
On  the  landing  at  the  head  of  the  stair  there  were  three 


36  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

doors.  From  the  chinks  of  the  one  in  the  middle 
brilliant  streams  of  light  revealed  that  within  it  was 
brilliantly  illuminated.  It  was  a  small  place,  and,  if  it 
was  a  billiard-roorn,  it  belied  its  name.  The  only  visible 
means  of  amusement  was  a  baccarat  table  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor,  round  which  ten  or  a  dozen  young  men 
were  gathered,  intent  on  watching  the  game. 

At  the  fireplace,  with  his  hands  complacently  placed 
behind  his  back,  stood  an  elderly  gentleman  of  apparently 
respectable  appearance,  benignly  watching  the  successes 
of  the  bank.  Mr.  Miles  Gregory  had  an  interest  in  the 
game,  but  he  had  an  admirable  command  of  his  features 
He  could  lose,  and  smile  all  the  time. 

The  players,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  were 
gentlemanly  young  fellows,  and  some  of  them  mere 
lads.  An  unhealthy  excitement  glittered  in  their  eyes, 
and  more  than  one  hand  was  unsteady  with  the  effects 
of  the  liquor,  which  was  to  be  had  in  abundance. 

'  Hurry  up,  gentlemen/  said  Mr.  Gregory,  smiling 
placidly.  '  Ten  minutes  to  eleven.  Come ;  you'll  need 
to  be  going  immediately.' 

'  I'm  cleaned  out,  Gregory — I  must  have  another 
chance,  and  I  will,  though  I  should  stop  here  till  mid- 
night,' said  Herbert  Hazell.  '  I've  nothing  to  bet  but  my 
watch  —ten  pounds  on  it,  Gregory  ?  It's  a  gold  repeater.' 

'  Oh,  well,  ten  pounds  be  it,'  said  that  worthy  com- 
placently. 

'  Don't  go  it,  Hazell,'  whispered  a  round-faced,  red- 
cheeked  lad  in  Herbert's  ear.  '  Come  on  out.  You're 
drunk  ;  you're  not  fit  to  play.  I  say,  Gregory,  he  doesn't 
know  what  he's  doing.' 


THE  SHADOW  ON  THE  HEARTH.    37 

'  Oh,  nonsense !  see  his  steady  hand.  Gentlemen,  I 
appeal  to  you  to  uphold  me  when  I  say  Mr.  Hazell  is 
quite  sober.' 

'  Of  course  I'm  quite  sober !  Here  goes,'  said  Hazell 
excitedly,  as  he  watched  the  dealing  of  the  cards. 

The  bank  had  been  winning  steadily.  In  about  half 
an  hour,  when  eleven  o'clock  struck,  the  gold  repeater 
was  among  its  gains. 

'  I'll  keep  it  safe  till  you  pay  up,  Mr.  Hazell,'  said 
Gregory  smoothly,  as  he  slipped  the  valuable  article  into 
his  capacious  breast-pocket  'Now,  gentlemen,  good- 
night. Hoskins,  put  out  the  gases.' 

'  I  haven't  a  cent  to  bless  myself  with,  Tommy,' 
groaned  Herbert  Hazell  as  he  staggered  down-stairs  after 
the  lad  who  had  warned  him,  '  and  I'm  ten  pounds  in 
debt.  If  I  don't  turn  up  to-morrow  night  and  clean 
out  that  Gregory !  He's  the  biggest  scoundrel  in 
existence.  They  cheat  in  the  shuffling,  don't  you  think  ? ' 

Tommy  made  no  reply.  He  was  a  clergyman's  son, 
and  he  was  wondering  how  he  should  slip  into  the 
Rectory  without  his  father's  knowledge ;  also  where  he 
was  to  get  the  wherewithal  to  pay  certain  sums  he  owed 
to  Mr.  Miles  Gregory  and  his  colleagues. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


NIGHT   AND    MORNING. 

[HE  two  companions  parted  at  the  corner  of 
the  street,  but  Herbert  Hazell  did  not  turn 
towards  his  home.  To  reach  Hazelwood  he 
had  to  cross  the  bridge  over  the  Med,  and 
walk  up  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river  for  some  distance. 
The  brewer's  residence  was  quite  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
town.  Herbert  Hazell's  head  was  perfectly  dazed — he 
did  not  know  what  he  was  about.  He  fancied  himself 
on  the  way  home ;  in  reality  he  was  walking  as  fast  as 
his  unsteady  gait  would  allow  him  quite  in  the  opposite 
direction.  He  kept  close  by  the  bank  of  the  river ;  the 
swift-flowing  stream  had  for  him  a  curious  fascination. 
Once  or  twice  he  stood  still,  and  watched  its  rapid  flow, 
and  his  form  even  swayed  towards  it.  A  special  provi- 
dence beyond  a  doubt  saved  his  life  that  night.  And 
yet  he  did  not  premeditate  self-destruction,  only  he  had 
lost  control  over  his  own  actions.  He  felt  dazed,  stupid, 
and  miserable ;  the  cold,  clear  night  wind  blowing  on  his 
fevered  temples  did  not  seem  to  have  the  power  to  sweep 
the  mists  from  his  brain ;  he  had  a  vague  idea  that  he 


NIGHT  AND  MORNING.  39 

had  lost  everything,  and  that  he  felt  ashamed  to  go 
home.  He  grew  weary  at  length,  and  wondered  why 
the  way  home  seemed  so  unnaturally  long.  He  stood 
still,  and,  looking  around  him,  failed  to  recognise  any 
familiar  landmark.  There  was  not  a  house  in  sight,  he 
seemed  to  be  quite  in  the  country,  and  his  surroundings 
were  entirely  new  to  him.  Involuntarily  he  put  his 
hand  to  his  breast-pocket  to  see  what  o'clock  it  was. 
Of  course  his  watch  was  gone.  It  was  bitterly  cold,  as 
it  so  often  is  betwixt  darkness  and  dawn.  It  was  nearly 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The  young  man  could  not 
reason  out  the  mysteries  of  his  surroundings ;  he  felt 
stupified  and  drowsy,  and  at  length,  succumbing  to  that 
feeling,  lay  down  under  a  tree,  and  fell  asleep,  with  the 
hard  ground  for  a  pillow  and  the  night  dews  for  a 
covering. 

Meanwhile  Kobert  Hazell  still  kept  his  vigil  at  home, 
and  Mary  sat  by  her  uncurtained  window  straining  her 
eyes  for  the  wanderer  who  never  came.  About  two 
o'clock  she  was  startled  by  the  opening  of  a  window  or 
door  on  the  lower  flat.  She  threw  up  the  sash  of  her 
own  window,  and  looked  out.  Just  then  Kobert  emerged 
from  the  library  window,  which  opened  down  to  the 
ground  in  two  halves,  like  a  folding  door. 

'Is  that  you,  Robert?  Where  are  you  going?'  she 
asked  in  a  quick  whisper. 

'  Are  you  not  in  bed  yet  ? '  he  asked  in  surprise. 
'  I'm  going  to  look  for  Bertie.  I'm  getting  anxious 
about  him.  He  has  never  been  so  late.' 

'  Where  can  he  be  ?  Can  anything  have  happened 
to  him  ? ' 


40  HAZELL  &•  SONS. 

'  I  don't  think  so.  Go  to  bed,  like  a  good  girl,  and 
try  to  sleep.' 

'  Sleep  !  Oh,  Bob,  I  couldn't !  I  am  in  misery.  Will 
you  wait  for  me,  and  I'll  come  too  ? ' 

'  No,  you  must  not.  Go  and  lie  down.  I'll  only  go 
the  length  of  the  club.  I  have  heard  they  sometimes 
play  there  after  midnight.  Don't  distress  yourself.' 

'I  keep  thinking  of  the  river,'  she  said,  with  a 
shiver.  '  The  parapet  is  so  low  at  the  bridge,  and  the 
bank  so  steep  all  the  way  along  to  our  gates.  Do 
let  me  come  ! ' 

'  You  would  rouse  the  house,  and  I  don't  want  papa 
to  know  of  this  at  all,  if  it  can  be  avoided.  Do  what  I 
tell  you,  Mary.  I  assure  you  I  am  advising  you  for 
the  best.' 

So  saying,  he  walked  quickly  away.  Mary  shut  the 
window  again,  wrapped  a  shawl  round  her,  and  sat  down 
to  wait. 

The  thought  about  the  river  had  also  occurred  to 
Eobert  Hazell,  and,  though  he  tried  to  banish  it,  he 
found  himself  unconsciously  watching  it  as  he  made  his 
way  to  the  town.  The  misery  of  his  anxiety  made  him 
angry  with  his  brother,  who  was  not  only  his  own 
enemy,  but  a  source  of  unspeakable  care  to  all  connected 
with  him. 

Eobert  Hazell  tried  to  be  gentle  with  the  weakness 
he  could  scarcely  understand.  The  temptations  which 
overcame  his  brother  had  not  the  slightest  influence  on 
him,  but  he  was  not  self-righteous.  He  had  a  fine 
nature — generous,  sympathetic,  and  full  of  compassion 
for  the  erring.  Perhaps  the  harshness  of  his  father's 


NIGHT  AND  MORNING.  41 

judgments  had  taught  him  a  lesson.  But  for  Robert 
Hazell  there  had  not  been  such  harmony  at  the  brewery. 
There  was  not  a  man  within  its  gates  who  would  not 
serve  the  young  master  with  a  cheerful  alacrity,  while 
to  the  old  master  they  gave  no  more  than  his  pound  of 
flesh.  Robert  Hazell  reached  the  club-house  in  Sand- 
ford  Street  without  meeting  a  living  soul  As  he  stood 
before  the  dark,  deserted-looking  house  he  could  hear 
the  measured  tread  of  the  policeman  on  his  beat  further 
up  the  street.  It  ended,  he  knew,  just  at  the  brewery 
gates.  There  was  no  sign  of  light  or  occupation  in  the 
club-rooms ;  if  there  were  still  players  within,  they  had 
taken  every  precaution  to  conceal  their  presence.  He 
waited  a  few  moments,  and  then  went  up  the  street 
towards  the  policeman.  That  worthy  came  forward 
quickly  at  sight  of  a  man  approaching,  but,  recognising 
him,  he  stopped  in  amazement  and  touched  his  hat  It 
was  not  a  common  sight  to  see  Mr.  Robert  Hazell  in 
such  a  locality  in  the  small  hours  of  the  morning. 

'  You  are  surprised  to  see  me,  Crockett.  Do  you 
think  it  possible  there  can  be  any  one  in  Gregory's 
billiard-rooms  at  this  time  ? ' 

'  Quite  possible,  sir.  I've  known  it  happen  afore, 
but  there  ain't  any  one  to-night,  becos  I  watched  Gregory 
lock  up  myself  after  eleven,  and  I  saw  some  gentlemen 
leave  then.' 

'  My  brother  among  them,  Crockett  ? ' 

'Yes,  sir;  him  and  Young  went  up  the  street 
together.  Excuse  me  sayin'  it,  sir,  but  Mr.  Hazell  seemed 
to  have  had  more  than  was  good  for  him.  He  couldn't 
walk  steady.' 


42  HAZELL  6r>  SONS. 

'  That  is  nearly  four  hours  ago,  and  he  hasn't  come 
home.  I  am  very  anxious,  Crockett.' 

'  Oh,  don't  be,  sir.  He  was  just  in  that  state  that 
he'd  drop  down  anywhere  to  sleep  it  off,'  said  the  police- 
man cheerfully.  '  Nothin's  happened  him,  take  my 
word  for  it.' 

'  But,  if  he  was  in  the  state  you  describe,  might  he 
not  fall  into  the  river  ? ' 

'  Never  a  bit  of  him.  It's  when  they're  in  the 
horrors  they  jump  in.  Mr.  Eobert,  I  know  all  the 
ways  of  it.  It's  a  bad  corner  that  Gregory's,  sir.' 

'  Ay,  it  is.  It  has  ruined  many  another  besides  my 
poor  brother.' 

'  Oh,  but  Mr.  Herbert  '11  pick  up  yet ;  he's  not  quite 
gone,'  said  Crockett  cheerfully  still.  '  Gregory's  that 
cunning,  sir,  the  law  can't  touch  him.  But  I  hope  his 
turn  '11  come.' 

'  What  would  you  advise  me  to  do,  Crockett  ? ' 

'  Go  home  to  bed,  sir.  'Tain't  no  use  in  the  world 
wandering  the  streets  to-night.  Take  my  word  for  it, 
Mr.  Herbert  '11  turn  up  all  right.  I'll  look  about,  and, 
if  I  see  him,  I'll  bring  him  home.' 

'Very  well,  Crockett.     You  need  not  speak  of  this.' 

'  Oh,  I  never  do,  sir.  Bless  you,  we  see  so  much. 
If  I  was  to  tell  all  I  see,  I'd  set  this  town  by  the  ears, 
and  it  'ud  be  too  hot  to  hold  me.  They  talk  of  London, 
sir,  but  it  can't  hold  a  candle  to  Medlington,  and  I 
walked  a  beat  for  seven  years  at  Trafalgar  Square. 
There's  mean,  sneakin'  ways  in  little  towns,  sir,  that 
London  'ud  be  ashamed  of.  You  see,  every  one  lives 
in  terror  o'  his  neighbours  fetchin'  out  any  o'  nis  little 


NIGHT  AND  MORNING.  43 

pecooliarities,  where,  in  London,  nobody  knows  anybody, 
an'  people  do  jes'  as  they  like.' 

Robert  Hazell  smiled  at  the  man's  worldly  wisdom, 
and,  bidding  him  good-night,  walked  off.  As  he  crossed 
the  bridge,  the  first  faint  streaks  of  the  dawn  were 
tinging  the  east  with  a  touch  of  light.  Involuntarily 
he  stood  still  to  look  for  a  moment  at  the  mystery  of 
the  dawn,  which  he  now  saw  for  the  first  time. 

When  he  reached  home,  he  found  Mary  still 
sitting,  white-faced  and  anxious-eyed,  at  her  window. 
She  slipped  down-stairs  when  she  heard  him  come  in, 
and  heard  all  that  he  could  tell.  Up-stairs  Mr.  Hazell 
was  in  a  dead  slumber,  but  his  wife's  strained  ear 
caught  every  sound  and  movement,  and  she  thought 
Herbert  had  come  home.  At  breakfast  next  morning 
Herbert,  of  course,  did  not  appear.  Mr.  Hazell,  how- 
ever, made  no  remark.  It  was  not  a  very  unusual 
occurrence  for  him.  More  than  once  he  had  not 
come  to  the  dining-room  till  the  others  had  left  it. 
Robert  wished,  if  possible,  to  hide  Bertie's  escapade 
from  his  father.  He  knew  it  would  make  a  terrible 
disturbance,  and  perhaps  a  breach  between  them.  For 
the  sake  of  Mary  and  Mrs.  Hazell,  he  wished  an  out- 
ward semblance  of  peace  preserved.  Mr.  Hazell  was 
talkative  at  breakfast,  whereby  Robert  guessed  that  he 
regretted  the  way  he  had  spoken  the  previous  night. 
It  was  an  effort  for  him  to  respond,  for  he  was  still 
anxious,  like  Mary,  who  could  not  even  make  a  pretence 
of  eating.  Mrs.  Hazell,  of  course,  was  not  yet  down- 
stairs. 

'  What    were    you    asking    me    yesterday,    Mary  ? 


44  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

Something  about  the  Beckers,  wasn't  it?'  said  Mr. 
Hazell,  looking  up  from  his  letters. 

'  Yes,  papa.  I  asked  you  if  you  could  not  take  back 
James  ?  They  are  almost  starving.' 

'  I  can't  take  back  the  old  man,  because  I  make  it  a 
rule  never  to  re-engage  a  discharged  man.  It  is  a  bad 
precedent,  and  James  Becker  had  plenty  of  warnings,' 
said  the  brewer.  '  But  you  can  tell  the  lad,  Willie,  he 
can  come  over  if  he  likes,  and  I'll  see  if  I  can  give  him 
a  job.  But  it's  only  in  charity  for  the  wife,  and  because 
you  say  she  is  a  decent,  hard-working  woman,  and  she 
must  draw  the  wage.  Tell  the  lad  that.  Will  you  be 
in  the  town  to-day  ? ' ' 

'  I  can  go  and  see  Mrs,  Becker,  papa.' 

'Well,  see  and  talk  firmly  to  them.  Don't  be  too 
sympathetic,  or  I'll  need  to  prohibit  you  going  among 
the  work-people.  You'd  have  them  demoralized  in  no 
time,  just  as  they  were  when  your  mother  was  alive. 
I  told  Eleanor  not  to  go  near  them,  and  she  never  has ; 
but  you  are  more  self-willed.' 

'  You  never  told  me  not  to  go,  papa,'  Mary  said,  with 
a  smile. 

'  Well,  no.  You  look  as  if  you  required  to  be  about 
in  the  fresh  air.  You  are  as  fagged  as  possible.  How 
have  you  lost  all  your  good  looks  since  you  came  home  ?' 

Mary  coloured  crimson,  dreading  what  the  next 
question  would  be.  She  was  in  terror  lest  her  father 
should  discover  that  Eobert  and  she  had  spent  the 
night  in  waiting  for  Herbert.  She  hated  even  the 
appearance  of  deceit, — it  was  foreign  to  her  nature, — and 
yet  something  had  to  be  concealed  for  the  sake  of  peace. 


NIGHT  AND  MORNING.  45 

'Eleanor  is  very  tired  this  morning.  You  will  go 
up  presently/  was  Mr.  Hazell's  next  remark,  which 
greatly  relieved  her. 

'  Yes,  papa,  I  shall  go  up.  Do  you  wish  anything 
more  ?  I  have  quite  finished.' 

1  Nothing  more,  thank  you.  Wait  a  moment,  Eobert, 
and  I'll  go  down  with  you.' 

'  Papa,  I  had  a  letter  last  night  from  my  friend 
Madeline  Eayne,  who  was  at  Madame  Gebhardt's  with 
me.  She  is  leaving  Bonn,  and  has  nowhere  in  England 
to  go  to  till  she  gets  another  situation.  May  I  ask  her 
to  come  here  for  a  little  ? ' 

'  Nowhere  in  England  to  go  1     Has  she  no  friends  ? ' 

'  No ;  she  is  an  orphan.' 

'  And  a  governess  ? ' 

'  Yes,  papa.' 

'  Have  you  spoken  to  Eleanor  about  it  ?' 

'  Yes,  she  is  quite  pleased.' 

'  Oh,  well,  it  is  her  business,  not  mine.  Let  her  come,' 
said  Mr.  Hazell  in  his  quick  fashion.  '  Is  she  a  nice 
person  ? ' 

'  The  best  in  the  world,'  returned  Mary  warmly ;  and 
her  eyes  shone  with  love  for  her  absent  friend. 

'  Oh,  that  is  schoolgirl  talk,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  with  a 
smile.  '  But  it  is  odd  for  you  to  have  such  a  work 
with  a  governess — you  might  have  found  a  companion 
more  suitable  in  age  and  other  respects.' 

So  saying,  he  left  the  room.  Apparently  he  had 
forgotten  the  very  existence  of  Herbert  In  reality  he 
had  not.  But  it  suited  him  not  to  mention  his  name 
just  then.  Eobert,  however,  was  thankful  that  tho 


46  HAZELL  6r«  SONS. 

subject  was  not  brought  up  even  as  they  walked 
together  down  to  the  brewery.  He  hoped  that  his 
brother  would  turn  up  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and 
tl.at  the  affair  would  be  passed  over  without  remark. 
He  was*  very  curious  concerning  Herbert's  night  out  of 
doors,  and  intended  to  probe  the  matter  to  the  bottom. 

When  her  father  and  brother  left  the  house,  Mary  ran 
up  to  Mrs.  Hazell's  room.  She  found  her  sitting  up  in 
bed,  sipping  a  cup  of  chocolate  the  maid  had  just 
brought  up. 

'  Good  morning,  dear.  You  look  tired  as  well  as  I,' 
she  said,  with  her  pleasant  smile.  '  I  fancy  we  had  all 
a  disturbed  night.  Was  Herbert  at  breakfast  ? ' 

'  No,  mamma  ;  he  has  never  come  in.' 

'  Never  come  in  ! '  exclaimed  Mrs.  Hazell  in  amaze- 
ment. '  Then  what  was  all  the  noise  I  heard  in  the 
house  in  the  early  morning  ? ' 

'  It  was  Robert  coming  back.  He  went  over  to  the 
club-roorn  to  seek  him,'  said  Mary.  'May  I  open  the 
blind,  mamma,  and  let  in  the  light  ? ' 

'  Yes;  but,  my  dear,  I  arn  alarmed.  Where  has  he  been ?' 

'  We  don't  know.  I  am  very  anxious ;  but  Bol 
thinks  he  will  be  all  right.' 

'  Does  your  father  know  ? ' 

'  No.  It  is  painful  to  have  to  conceal  things  as  we 
have  to  do  about  him,  main  ma.  It  makes  me  feel 
mean  Why,  there  is  Herbert  now,  coming  across  the 
park.  Where  can  he  have  been  ? ' 

'  You  had  better  go  down,  my  dear,  and  meet  him. 
When  you  have  spoken  to  him,  come  up  to  me  again, 
will  you  ? ' 


NIGHT  AND  MORNING.  47 

'  Yes,  mamma.' 

Mary  flew  down-stairs,  and  met  Herbert  just  as  he 
entered  the  house. 

'  Is  the  governor  gone  ? '  he  asked,  looking  round 
rather  anxiously. 

Mary  was  shocked  at  his  appearance.  A  night  on 
damp  ground  does  not  improve  the  appearance  of  a 
light  tweed  suit,  and  the  lad's  face  was  pale  and  sickly- 
looking,  and  his  eyes  encircled  by  deep  shadows. 

'  Yes,  he  is  away.  Come  into  the  dining-room,'  she 
said  hurriedly.  '  Where  have  you  been  ? ' 

'  I  made  an  ass  of  myself  last  night  at  Gregory's/ 
said  he  shamefacedly.  '  I  suppose  I  had  too  much 
drink.  My  head  was  muddled,  and  I  couldn't  find  the 
way  home.  I  slept  all  night  on  the  river  bank  out  at 
Royston,  and  I'm  pretty  stiff,  I  can  tell  you.  I'm  jolly 
ashamed  of  myself,  I  tell  you  too,  and  I'm  not  going 
back  to  that  vile  Gregory's.  He's  an  out-and-out 
swindler.  Is  the  governor  awfully  mad  ? ' 

But  all  the  answer  Mary  made  was  to  turn  her 
head  away  in  sadness  and  shame,  and  burst  into  tears. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

PARADISE     ROW. 

FTEE  a  few  minutes  Herbert  went  lip-stairs, 
refreshed  himself  with  a  good  wash,  and 
went  off  to  the  brewery.  He  was  not  a 
coward;  he  would  face  it  out  at  once.  It 
was  about  half-past  ten  when  Eobert,  chancing  to  look 
out  of  the  counting-house  window,  saw  him  come 
through  the  big  gates.  He  put  on  his  hat  and  went 
out  to  meet  him. 

'  Where  have  you  been  ?  Have  you  come  from 
home  ? '  he  asked. 

'  Yes.  I  made  a  jolly  fool  of  myself  last  night,  Bob,' 
Herbert  answered  confidentially.  '  I'll  tell  you  about 
it  after.  What's  the  governor  saying  ?  I  suppose  he's 
awfully  mad.' 

'  He  knows  nothing  about  it.  He  thinks  you  came 
in  late,  or,  rather,  too  early  to  be  up  in  time,'  Eobert 
answered.  '  This  is  the  worst  escapade  you  have  ever 
had,  Bert.  You  must  not  repeat  it,  if  only  for  mother's 
sake.  She  was  quite  ill  last  night  and  this  morning. 
I  was  down  at  Gregory's  at  two  o'clock  this  morning.' 


PARADISE  ROW.  49 

'  Were  you  ?  We  were  out  long  before  that.  I  lost 
ray  watch  at  baccarat,  and  my  head  was  muddled. 
Fancy,  I  wandered  as  far  as  Koyston,  seeking  the  way 
home.' 

'  And  where  did  you  sleep  ? ' 

'  Camped  out.  I  awoke  this  morning  in  rather  a 
damp  condition  with  the  dew.  Nobody  saw  me,  fortun- 
ately. Perhaps  the  tiling  '11  blow  over/  said  Herbert 
brightly.  His  spirits  had  risen  the  moment  he  heard 
that  his  father  did  not  know  of  his  indiscretion.  Robert 
looked  at  his  brother's  pale  face  and  haggard  eyes  with 
compassion.  It  was  impossible  to  be  angry  with  the 
lad ;  he  was  so  simple  and  winning  in  his  way,  ready 
to  acknowledge  himself  in  the  wrong,  especially  to  those 
he  loved,  and  willing  to  make  any  promise  of  amend- 
ment, which,  alas  !  he  had  never  sufficient  courage  to 
keep. 

'  I'm  glad  the  governor  doesn't  know,  Bob,  because  I 
can't  eat  humble  pie  before  him ;  it  makes  something 
come  up  my  back.  I  suppose  I'll  just  go  in.' 

'  I  suppose  so,'  said  Robert,  with  a  half  sigh. 

'  Don't  look  so  down,  Bob.  Really,  I'm  going  to  turn 
over  a  new  leaf.  Only  I  must  go  back  and  win  my 
watch  from  that  old  swindler.  If  there  was  no  drink 
going,  we'd  soon  find  out  their  cheating  tricks,1  said 
Herbert;  and  then  they  entered  the  counting- house 
together,  and  he  went  at  once  to  his  desk.  Mr.  Hazell, 
having  occasion  to  pass  through  the  office  a  few  minutes 
.later,  saw  him  apparently  busy,  and  made  no  remark. 
He  never  alluded  in  any  way  to  the  affair,  and  it  blew 
over.  For  a  time  after  such  an  occurrence  Herbert  was 

4 


50  HAZELL  fir-  SONS. 

generally  sober  and  diligent,  until  some  new  temptation 
assailed  him. 

After  an  early  luncheon  that  day,  Mary  Hazell 
walked  into  the  town.  There  was  a  little  '  basket 
phaeton  at  Hazel  wood  in  addition  to  a  carriage  for  the 
use  of  the  ladies,  but,  unless  Mrs.  Hazell  accompanied 
her,  Mary  preferred  to  walk.  The  long  pedestrian 
excursions  she  had  been  wont  to  take  among  the  Rhine 
mountains  had  given  her  both  strength  and  liking  for 
that  healthful  exercise.  She  was  sometimes  three  or 
four  times  in  the  town  in  a  day.  But  she  had  never 
yet  been  within  the  brewery  gates. 

To  reach  Paradise  Eow,  where  the  Beckers  lived,  she 
had  to  go  down  Sand  ford  Street,  and  keep  close  to  the 
high  wall  which  enclosed  the  extensive  buildings  in 
connection  with  the  brewery.  Paradise  Row  was 
entirely  the  property  of  Mr.  Hazell,  and  the  houses 
were  all  occupied  by  his  workpeople.  They  were 
brick  cottages,  containing  a  room  and  kitchen,  some 
outhouses,  and  a  small  piece  of  garden  ground. 
Another  line  of  cottages,  running  parallel  with  a  lane 
between,  was  called  the  Back  Row.  They  were  neither 
pretty  nor  picturesque.  The  site  was  bad,  to  begin 
with,  the  houses  being  built  in  a  hollow,  and  the  soil 
being  damp  and  marshy.  It  was  said  that  the  drainage 
was  bad,  and  if  there  was  any  epidemic  in  Medlington  it 
always  scourged  Paradise  Row  and  its  companion.  Mr 
Hazell,  however,  had  built  the  houses  for  his  people 
and  he  made  residence  in  them  a  condition  of  employ 
ment.  In  some  respects  he  was  a  hard  master.  If 
any  grievances  were  redressed  it  was  generally  through 


PARADISE  ROW.  5: 

the  interference  of  Mr.  Eobert,  and  the  hands  were 
looking  forward  to  the  time  when  he  would  have  the 
entire  control  They  said  good  times  were  in  store 
for  them :  he  was  greatly  beloved  by  all  classes  in 
Medlington.  The  gardens  in  Paradise  Row  were  not 
kept  with  taste.  A  few  vegetables  were  cultivated  by 
the  majority,  but  there  was  a  decided  scarcity  of 
Mowers.  Miss  Hazell,  coming  from  a  land  where 
flowers  are  plentiful,  had  been  quick  to  notice  the 
absence  of  colour  and  beauty  in  the  workfolk's  gardens, 
but  her  suggestions  as  to  sowing  and  planting  flowers 
had  not  been  particularly  well  received.  In  fact,  they 
had  been  a  little  shy  with  her  altogether,  rather  resent- 
ing her  visits,  though  she  had  such  a  pleasant,  winning 
way  with  her.  Only  the  children  always  greeted  her 
with  unmistakable  warmth.  She  had  found  her  way 
to  their  hearts,  and  might  be  expected  through  them  to 
win  the  parents.  She  had  made  great  plans  for  the 
winter  among  them,  and  was  thinking  of  them  as  she 
walked  that  pleasant  afternoon  by  the  river-side  to  the 
town.  But  the  thought  of  her  brother  would  intervene 
sometimes  with  a  saddening  influence.  Unless  she 
could  begin  her  work  with  success  at  home,  how  could 
she  look  for  good  results  outside  ?  And  as  yet  all  her 
earnest  pleading,  her  loving,  sisterly  endeavour  had  been 
in  vain. 

It  was  ten  minutes  past  three  by  the  big  brewery 
clock  when  she  turned  into  Paradise  Row.  When  she 
jaade  her  appearance,  there  was  a  general  scamper  of 
sundry  untidy  females  into  the  houses.  It  was  a  slack 
time,  it  must  be  supposed,  with  the  ladies  of  Paradise 


52  HAZELL  S»  SONS. 

Row.  They  had  got  dinner  comfortably  over,  husbands 
and  children  out  of  the  houses,  and  they  could  breathe 
in  peace.  Miss  Hazell  did  not  approve,  of  the  general 
condition  of  the  houses,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
women  as  they  sat  unwashed  and  untidy  on  the  door- 
steps. She  had  even  ventured  to  hint  more  than  once 
that  they  might  find  a  more  profitable  employment,  but 
her  suggestions  had  not  been  acted  on.  In  point  of 
fact,  they  had  as  good  as  told  her  to  mind  her  own 
business.  Mary  was  quite  inexperienced  in  district 
visiting,  and  had  hardly  yet  learned  to  shut  her  eyes  to 
a  great  deal  until  she  had  built  a  sure  foundation  for 
her  feet. 

The  Beckers,  whom  she  had  specially  come  to  see, 
lived  about  the  middle  of  the  row.  James  Becker,  the 
man  who  had  been  dismissed,  was  leaning  up  against 
the  rain-water  barrel  smoking  his  pipe,  when  he  saw 
the  general  stampede,  and  then  noticed  his  master's 
daughter  coming  round  the  corner.  He  immediately 
took  himself  off  in  the  opposite  direction,  with  rather  a 
scowling  face. 

These  things  were  not  particularly  encouraging  to 
Miss  Hazell,  and  she  felt  depressed  as  she  passed  up 
the  Eow.  She  made  a  pretty  picture  in  her  neat,  well- 
fitting  autumn  dress ;  and  as  she  entered  the  cottage, 
the  faint  perfume  of  her  presence  seemed  to  fill  it. 

There  was  a  woman  in  the  kitchen  sitting  on  a  low 
stool  at  the  fire,  with  an  infant  on  her  lap;  another 
child,  about  two  years  old,  tired  of  his  play,  had  fallen 
asleep  on  the  rug,  with  his  head  leaning  against  her 
knee.  She  was  a  pleasant-looking  woman,  between 


PARADISE  ROW.  53 

thirty  and  forty,  but  her  face  was  somewhat  faded 
and  worn.  She  had  borne  a  large  family,  and  at  that 
moment  her  heart  was  full  of  care  concerning  them  and 
their  future.  The  place  was  scrupulously  clean  and 
tidy.  Susan  Becker  was  an  exception  to  the  general 
rule  of  Paradise  Row ;  and,  because  she  kept  her  own 
house,  and  attended  to  its  concerns,  rather  than  meddled 
with  the  affairs  of  others,  she  was  not  particularly  well 
liked  by  the  neighboura 

She  nodded  gravely  when  Miss  Hazell's  shadow 
darkened  the  doorway,  and  pointed  to  the  two  babies  as 
an  apology  for  not  rising. 

Mary  nodded  also,  gently  closed  the  door,  and  took 
a  chair  near  the  window.  She  missed  the  pleasant 
smile  with  which  Susan  Becker  had  been  wont  to  greet 
her ;  and,  for  the  first  time  since  she  had  first  visited 
her,  felt  at  a  loss  for  something  to  say. 

'  Shall  I  waken  the  babies  if  I  speak,  Mrs.  Becker  ? ' 
she  asked  in  a  whisper. 

'  Oh  no.  Charlie  got  so  fretful  an'  worrited,  I  was 
thankful  when  he  fell  over.  He's  as  sound  as  sound 
can  be.  When  did  you  come  home,  Miss  Mary  ? ' 

'  Ten  days  ago  ;  but  mamma  has  not  been  so  well,  and  I 
have  been  busy,'  Mary  answered.  '  Are  you  stronger  ? ' 

'  A  little ;  but  this  last  baby  has  taken  the  strength 
out  o'  me.     Life's  a  hard  struggle,  Miss  Mary,'  said  the 
woman,  not  bitterly,  but  with  a  kind  of  quiet  hopeless 
ness,  which  was  indescribably  pathetic. 

'  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  say  that.  You  have  always 
been  so  happy  among  the  children.  They  are  all  at 
school,  I  suppose  ? ' 


54  HAZELL  <5r>  SONS. 

'  All  but  Willie.  He's  gone  over  to  Royston,  because 
he  heard  that  Mr.  Carthew,  the  grocer  there,  wants  an 
errand-boy.  He  was  vexed  to  leave  the  school ;  but,  as 
I  said  to  him,  he  must  put  his  hand  to,  so  long  as  his 
father's  out  o'  work  at  least,' 

'  I  was  very  sorry  to  hear  about  it,  and  qujte 
astonished.  1  thought  your  husband  had  been  doing 
so  well  of  late.' 

'  So  did  I.  But  one  never  knows,'  said  Susan  Becker 
hopelessly. 

'  I  came  on  an  errand  to-day,  Mrs.  Becker.  I  spoke 
to  papa  about  it,  and  he  says  you  are  to  send  Willie 
over  to  the  brewery,  arid  he  will  give  him  something 
to  do.' 

'  I  won't  do  that,  Miss  Mary,'  the  woman  answered, 
as  she  bent  her  head  low  over  her  baby's  face. 

'  Why  not  ? ' 

'  Because  one  on  the  bad  road  is  enough,  Miss  Mary. 
I'd  rather  the  lad  begged  his  bread  mostly,  rather  than 
go  the  road  his  father's  gone.' 

'  But  what  has  that  to  do  with  his  getting  something 
to  do  at  the  brewery,  Mrs.  Becker  ? '  asked  Miss  Hazell 
in  a  puzzled  voice. 

Susan  Becker  lifted  her  head  quickly,  and  seemed  about 
to  make  a  sharp  retort,  but  something  in  the  young  lady's 
sweet  large  eyes  arrested  her.  She  would  not  hurt  that 
earnest  soul,  who  seemed  anxious  to  help  her  in  her 
trouble.  So  there  was  a  moment's  rather  awkward 
silence. 

'  And  if  Willie  does  not  get  that  situation  at  Royston. 
what  will  you  do  ? ' 


PARADISE  ROW.  55 

'  Oh,  he  must  go  and  seek  for  work  somewhere  else. 
We'll  need  to  shift  soon  anyway.  We  expect  notice 
from  the  master  to  quit  the  house  every  day.' 

'  Oh,  papa  will  never  send  you  out  of  the  house,  at 
least  until  your  husband  gets  something  to  do  elsewhere.' 

'  Won't  he  ? '  A  slight  and  peculiar  smile,  which 
Mary  did  not  like,  touched  the  woman's  lips.  '  He  gave 
Job  Tiinms  notice  to  quit  twenty-four  hours  after  he  was 
dismissed  last  Whitsuntide ;  and  there  '11  be  a  man  put 
in  Jem's  place,  and  the  master  '11  want  him  to  live  in 
the  Row,  sure.' 

Mary  sighed,  and  her  colour  rose  a  little.  The 
woman's  words  were  not  in  themselves  offensive,  but 
she  felt  that  in  some  way  they  cast  discredit  on  her 
lather.  She  could  not  help  resenting  them  a  little, 
knowing  nothing  about  his  relations  with  his  work- 
people. At  home  Mr.  Hazell  was  generally  kind  and 
indulgent  enough,  especially  to  the  women  of  his  house- 
hold. '  But,  you  know,  your  husband  has  had  many 
warnings.  Papa  told  me  so,  and  sometimes  for  the 
sake  of  the  rest  an  example  must  be  made  of  one,'  she 
said  a  trifle  hastily.  '  I  am  very  sorry  for  you  and  the 
children,  Mrs.  Becker,  but  I  cannot  say  Jem  did  not 
deserve  to  be  dismissed.' 

It  was  Susan  Becker's  turn  now  to  colour  up. 

'  When  my  Jem  went  first  to  Hazell's,  Miss  Mary, 
there  wasn't  a  soberer  man  in  Medlington,  nor  anywhere 
else.  Excuse  me  bein'  so  plain,  ma'am,  but  how  the 
master  can  expect  'em  to  be  for  ever  sober,  and  that  bar 
open  night  and  day  in  the  place  for  'em  to  drink  as 
much  ale  as  they  want,  I  can't  imagine.  It's  more 


56  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

than  flbsh  and  blood  can  do  to  stand  straight  an*  so 
much  temptation.  I've  often,  often  said  to  Jem  that  if 
the  master  meant  it  in  kindness  somebody  should  tell 
him  his  mistake.  That  bar's  been  the  ruin  o'  dozens  I 
could  name  at  HazelTs,  though  I  never  thought  my 
man  'ud  ever  be  among  them.' 

Mary  Hazell  had  not  a  word  to  say.  She  felt  the 
undeniable  truth  of  the  woman's  words. 

'  I'm  not  meanin'  no  disrespect  nor  impudence,  Miss 
Mary,  an'  I  wouldn't  hurt  you,  'cos  you've  allus  been 
more  than  kind,'  Susan  Becker  said,  when  she  saw  the 
downcast  look  on  the  young  lady's  face.  '  But  I  can't 
bear  to  hear  everybody  castin'  the  blame  on  the  men 
who  drink.  They're  poor  stupid  fellows,  Miss  Mary, 
but  them  that  puts  the  temptation  always  in  the  way 
are  the  most  to  blame,  that's  what  I  think.' 

Miss  Hazell  rose  to  her  feet.  '  Then  you  won't  send 
Willie  over,  Mrs.  Becker  ? '  she  said  quietly. 

'  No,  Miss  Mary.  Say  to  the  master  I'm  obliged  for 
his  offer,  kindly  meant,  but  I  can't  let  Willie  go,  nor  he 
has  no  wish  himself.  The  lad's  set  against  the  drink 
just  now,  if  he  keeps  to  it.  He  thinks  it's  took  him 
from  the  school,  an'  I  never  saw  such  a  boy  for  his 
books,  never.  I  believe  he'd  a'  turned  out  a  real 
scholard.' 

'  I  don't  know  what  to  say,  Mrs.  Becker,'  said  Mary, 
and  a  tear  rose  in  her  eye.  '  I  am  very  sorry  for  you 
all ;  but  what  can  I  do  to  help  you  ? ' 

'  Nothing,  I  know,  Miss  Mary.  You  have  a  kind 
heart,  an'  I'll  never  forget  what  you  did  when  the  baby 
was  born,'  said  Susan  Becker,  with  a  gulp.  '  Will  yo"( 


PARADISE  ROW.  57 

tell  the  master  not  to  send  Ford  to  put  us  out?  We'll 
go  quietly.  He  has  such  a  nasty  way  with  him.  We'll 
go  as  soon  as  we  can  get.  If  Willie  doesn't  get  Mr. 
Carthew's  place  we'll  move  to  Burnley  likely,  an'  Becker 
an'  the  lad  '11  go  to  the  pit.' 

'  Oh,  Mrs.  Becker,  that  would  never  do  for  Willie ! ' 
cried  Miss  Hazell,  recalling  the  bright  and  intelligent 
face  of  the  boy  who  had  been  for  years  the  best  scholar 
in  the  town  school,  and  whom  everybody  expected  to 
rise  above  the  station  in  which  he  had  been  born. 

'  It'll  need  to  do,  I  guess.  It's  not  what  we'd  like, 
but  what  we  have  to  do  and  to  take  in  this  world,  Miss 
Mary,  as  Willie  '11  soon  find.  Good-bye,  Miss  Mary. 
God  bless  you/ 

Mary  Hazell  shook  hands  with  the  drayman's  wife, 
and  turned  away  froui  Paradise  Row  with  a  heavy 
heart. 


CHAPTER  VL 


BEGINNINGS. 

ISS  HAZELL  turned  back  the  way  she  had 
come,  not  caring,  in  her  present  frame  of 
mind,  to  encounter  any  more  of  the  residen- 
ters  of  Paradise  Row.  But  before  she  had 
got  beyond  the  precincts  she  met  the  lad,  Willie  Becker, 
who  was  about  to  pass  on  with  a  touch  of  his  cap,  when 
she  stopped  him. 

'  I  have  been  at  your  home,  "Willie,  and  your  mother 
told  me  on  what  errand  you  had  gone  to  Royston,' 
she  said  kindly.  '  What  success  had  you  with  Mr. 
Carthew  ? 

'  The  place  is  filled  up,  Miss  Mary,'  the  lad  answered 
quietly,  but  his  keen  disappointment  was  quite  visible  in 
his  dejected  look.  He  was  a  tall,  fine-looking  lad,  with 
an  exceptionally  bright,  honest  face,  and  an  intelligent, 
speaking  eye.  Mary  Hazell  had  only  seen  him  a  few 
times,  but  had  been  drawn  towards  him  in  no  ordinary 
way.  She  was  a  great  favourite  with  all  the  young 
people  in  Medlington. 

'  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,'  she  said  sympathetically. 

M 


BEGINNINGS,  50 

'  Your  mother  spoke  of  Burnley.  I  hope  it  will  not 
come  to  that,  Willie.' 

The  lad  turned  his  head  swiftly  away,  and  Mary 
heard  him  gulp  down  a  sob. 

'  Will  you  walk  a  little  way  with  me,  Willie,  and  let 
us  talk  it  over,'  she  said,  laying  her  daintily-gloved 
hand  on  his  shoulder.  '  Come,  let  us  go  up  this  cinder 
path.  It  is  quite  quiet  there.' 

The  cinder  path  was  a  little  narrow  lane,  leading 
from  the  back  of  Paradise  Row,  between  two  tall,  prickly 
hedges,  right  down  to  the  river.  It  had  got  its  name 
from  the  refuse  from  the  engine-houses  being  spread 
upon  it,  to  keep  it  dry.  The  ground  just  there  was 
very  marshy. 

The  lad  turned  at  once,  though  with  some  shyness, 
to  accompany  the  young  lady  through  the  lane. 

'  I  had  an  errand  in  coming  down  to-day,'  she  began. 
'  Mr.  Hazell  wished  you  to  come  and  get  employment 
at  the  brewery.' 

'  I  am  much  obliged  to  the  master,  Miss  Mary,  but 
I'd  rather  not  go  to  the  brewery,'  Willie  answered,  with 
reddening  cheek. 

'  Why  not  ?  ' 

It  was  painful  for  Mary  Hazoll  to  ask  such  questions, 
and  yet  she  could  not  help  it. 

'  You'll  be  angry,  Miss  Mary,  but  I'm  feared  I  get 
like  father,'  Willie  answered  humbly,  and  yet  with 
tirmness.  '  I'd  rather  go  to  Burnley  any  day.' 

'But,  Willie,  it  is  a  frightful  thing  to  work 
down  in  a  coal-mine,  away  from  the  light  and  the 
sunshine.  I  don't  think  it  will  suit  you  at  all.  And 


60  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

you  can  keep  quite  steady  if  you  like.  I  am  sure  it 
is  in  you.' 

The  boy  shook  his  head. 

'  Father  thought  that  once  too,  and  a  lot  others  that 
have  been  put  away  like  him.  I  can't  go  to  the 
brewery,  miss.' 

'  And  there  are  so  many  advantages,  Willie,'  con- 
tinued the  young  lady  earnestly.  '  There's  the  library, 
and  the  night-school,  and  the  reading-room,  all  for 
nothing.  Think  how  you  could  improve  yourself,  and 
keep  up  your  studies.' 

Again  Willie  Becker  turned  his  head  away.  He  had 
already  done  battle  with  all  these  temptations,  and  had 
trampled  them  under  foot.  Young  though  he  was,  he 
had  seen  the  evil  of  the  license  given  to  the  employees 
at  Hazell's,  and  had  registered  a  vow  that  nothing 
should  induce  him  to  go  there.  And  yet  Mr.  Hazell 
provided  generous  and  valuable  facilities  for  the  mental 
improvement  of  his  people.  The  library  and  reading- 
rooms  had  cost  him  over  two  thousand  pounds,  and  he 
paid  the  salary  of  the  night-school  teacher  out  of  his 
own  pocket. 

'  And  what  is  to  become  of  your  scholarship  down 
the  Burnley  coal-mines,  Willie  ? '  asked  Miss  Hazell, 
after  a  little  pause. 

'  Perhaps  there  '11  be  a  night-school  and  library  there, 
too,  Miss  Mary.  I  hope  there  are.' 

'  I  think  not.  The  miners  as  a  class  do  not  show 
themselves  anxious  for  self-improvement,  and  any 
effort  in  their  behalf  has  met  with  so  little  encourage- 
ment that  it  has*  been  abandoned.  Mr.  Fergus,  of  the 


BEGINNINGS.  61 

Ladywell  miners,  told  me  that  cock-fighting  and  such- 
like sports  were  their  staple  amusements.  I  am  afraid 
you  will  find  it  a  hard  life,  Willie/ 

The  lad's  lip  quivered.  She  was  not  speaking  in  her 
usual  helpful  fashion,  he  thought,  and  imagined  she  was 
angry  at  his  refusal  to  go  to  the  brewery. 

They  walked  a  few  steps  in  silence,  and  then  the 
young  lady  spoke  again.  This  time  her  voice  was  very 
sweet  and  tender,  and  had  even  a  slight  tremor  in  it. 

'  Do  you  think  me  very  hard,  Willie  ? '  she  asked. 

'  No,  but  I  thought  you  were  vexed  with  me  about 
not  going  to  the  brewery,'  he  answered  hesitatingly. 

'  Not  L  If  I  dared,  I  should  say  you  were  entirely 
in  the  right  It  is  always  wise  to  keep  as  far  aa 
possible  from  temptation.  We  never  know  how  weak 
we  are  until  we  are  tried.  How  far  is  Burnley  from 
here,  Willie  ? ' 

'  About  five  miles,  Miss  Mary.' 

'  And  you  are  very  anxious  to  keep  up  your  studies, 
are  you  not  ? ' 

'  Yes,  Miss  Mary.*' 

'  What  would  you  like  to  be  ? ' 

'  I  hardly  know,  but  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  I 
should  like  better  to  do  than  go  to  college.' 

'  To  college  !     You  are  ambitious.' 

'  Yes,  but  mother  knows,  and  she  thinks  I  am  quite 
right — at  least  she  used  to,'  added  the  lad,  with  a  sigh. 
'  Now,  of  course,  I  can't  think  about  it  any  more.' 

'  Will  you  try  and  keep  up  your  studies,  whatever 
you  do  ? ' 

'  Oh  yes ;    I'll  keep  all  my  books,  and  read  them 


6»  HAZELL  &  SOA'S. 

>vhen  I  can.  But  Mr.  Bertram,  the  schoolmaster,  says 
it  is  very  difficult  to  get  on  without  a  teacher.' 

'  I  know  it  is.  What  do  you  say  to  my  turning 
teacher,  Willie  ? ' 

'  How,  Miss  Mary  ?  ' 

'  Let's  sit  down  here  and  make  a  compact,'  said  the 
young  lady,  motioning  him  to  a  pile  of  wood  lying  on 
the  river  bank,  which  they  had  now  reached.  '  Would 
you  be  willing  to  walk  over  from  Burnley  on  your  half- 
holidays  to  get  some  lessons  from  me  ? ' 

'  Oh,  Miss  Mary  ! ' 

The  lad's  face  positively  glowed  with  delight. 

'  You  would  like  it  ?  Then  we'll  settle  it,'  she  said, 
with  her  happy  smile.  '  I  am  fresh  from  school  myself, 
you  know,  and  ought  to  be  able  to  make  some  use  of 
my  opportunities.  I  was  the  Professor's  best  Latin 
scholar  at  Bonn,  Willie.  I  have  gone  through  Horace 
and  the  two  first  books  of  Virgil.' 

'Oh!' 

Willie  Becker  looked  at  his  master's  daughter  with  a 
new  and  reverential  interest. 

'  It  is  true,'  she  said,  nodding  brightly.  '  Well, 
shall  we  say  Saturday  afternoons,  at  four  o'clock,  for 
our  studies  ? ' 

'  If  you  please,  Miss  Mary.  But  it  will  be  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  to  you.' 

'  Oh,  none  in  the  world !  It  will  be  a  pleasure. 
You  will  just  come  up  to  Hazehvood,  and  we  will  go 
into  the  old  schoolroom  which  has  never  been  used  for 
years.' 

'  Thank  you,  Miss  Mary,'  said  the  lad  'simply  ;  but 


BEGINNINGS.  63 

his  eloquent  eyes  and  beaming  face  expressed  a  groat 
deal  more  gratitude  than  his  few  words  conveyed.  A 
ray  of  sunshine  had  fallen  across  what  had  appeared  to 
him  a  very  dark  horizon.  They  parted  there  with  a 
kindly  handshake,  and  Mary  Hazell  turned  her  steps 
into  the  town  again,  with  a  warm  glow  at  her  heart. 
She  had  done  some  good ;  she  had,  at  least,  given  a 
young  heart  something  to  hope  for,  and  her  own  reward 
was  very  sweet.  It  was  quite  early  yet ;  half-past 
three  on  the  brewery  clock  when  she  reached  the  gate. 
She  hesitated  a  moment  there,  and  looked  into  the  yard, 
where  the  casks  were  piled  one  upon  another  in  great 
stacks.  She  had  never  been  within,  and  a  slight 
feeling  of  curiosity  made  her  feel  inclined  to  enter. 
She  felt  that  she  would  like  to  see  the  place  where  her 
father  and  brothers  spent  so  much  of  their  time.  She 
passed  through  the  gates,  crossed  the  paved  courtyard, 
and  entered  the  office.  The  clerks  looked-  up  in 
surprise  at  sight  of  her,  and  when  Herbert  saw  this  he 
jumped  down  from  his  seat. 

'  Hulloa,  Molly  ! '  he  said,  in  his  off-hand  fashion  ; 
'  what's  up  ? ' 

'Nothing;  I  was  walking  through  the  town,  and  I 
wanted  to  see  papa.  Is  he  in  ? ' 

'  Yes,  in  there,'  Herbert  answered,  and,  pushing  open 
the  baize-covered  door,  motioned  her  to  enter. 

'  Here's  a  lady  to  see  you,  father,'  he  said,  addressing 
him  for  the  first  time  that  day.  Perhaps  he  was  glad 
o'  the  chance. 

Mr.  Hazell  looked  round  quickly.  '  Oh,  it's  you, 
Mary  !  Come  in  anc'  shut  the  door.  You  needn't  wait, 


64  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

Herbert,'  he  added  curtly  to  his  son,  who  immediately 
withdrew. 

'  What's  brought  you  here  ?  Nothing  the  matter 
with  Eleanor,  I  hope.' 

'  Oh  no ;  I  left  her  much  better.  I  have  been  to 
the  Beckers',  papa,  and  I  thought  I  would  corne  over 
when  I  was  so  near  and  tell  you  about  it.' 

'  Well,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  continuing  the  letter  in  the 
writing  of  which  he  had  been  interrupted,  '  when  will 
the  boy  come  ? ' 

'  He's  not  coining,  papa.' 

'  Why  not  ? ' 

'  Neither  his  mother  nor  himself  wishes  it.  I  had 
a  talk  with  them  both.  He  seems  to  feel  a  good 
deal  about  his  father,  and  he  will  not  come  to  the 
brewery.' 

'  Of  course  they  resent  the  old  man's  dismissal ;  but 
he  was  hardly  a  day  sober,  and  Ford  was  growing 
rebellious  over  it.' 

'  I  don't  think  it  is  that,  papa.  It  is  the  temptation 
the  lad  fears.  He  is  very  conscientious,  too.' 

Mr.  Hazell's  lip  curled. 

'  Well,  and  what  are  they  going  to  do  ? ' 

'  Go  to  Burnley  to  work  in  the  mines,  I  think.' 

'And  are  they  going  to  send  that  fine  bright  lad 
down  the  mine  ? ' 

'  There  is  nothing  else  for  him,  I  am  afraid.' 

'  They  are  fools.  Did  you  point  out  the  advantages 
he  would  have  here  ? ' 

'I  did ;  but  I  could  not  urge  him.  I  think  he  is 
quite  right.' 


BEGINNINGS.  05 

Mr.  Hnzell  grunted,  and,  folding  up  his  letter,  care- 
fully sealed  it. 

'  Papa,  is  it  true  what  Mrs.  Becker  told  me,  that 
there  is  a  bar  here,  where  the  men  can  drink  as  much 
as  they  like  ? '  asked  Mary  timidly. 

'  Yes,  it's  true.  Were  they  throwing  the  blame  on 
that  ?  Just  like  them,  the  ungrateful  set.' 

Mary  sat  silent  a  moment,  and  then  her  father 
wheeled  round  his  chair  and  looked  for  a  moment  into 
her  grave,  troubled  face. 

'  Look  here,  Mary,  I  am  going  to  tell  you,  once  for 
all,  that  I  will  not  have  you  meddling  with  the  work- 
people and  the  business  concerns.  I'll  have  you  telling 
me  my  duty  next.  Why  can't  you  stay  at  home  and 
interest  yourself  in  your  music  and  painting,  as  other 
girls  do  ?  What  is  the  use  of  all  the  money  I  spent  on 
your  education  ?  Wasn't  it  that  you  might  be  able  to 
give  pleasure  to  others  and  be  entertaining  at  home  ? 
That's  your  duty,  my  girl,  and  the  sooner  you  learn  it 
the  better  it  will  be  for  us  all.' 

The  girl's  sensitive  colour  rose,  and  her  eyes  even 
filled  with  sudden  tears.  She  had  been  so  earnestly 
seeking  a  sphere  of  usefulness,  that  it  was  hard  to  meet 
with  such  strong  discouragement  on  the  very  threshold 
of  her  new  endeavour.  How  poorly  all  the  glowing 
visions  she  had  cherished  at  school  were  being  fulfilled. 

'  I  am  anxious  to  do  a  little  good,  papa,  but  I  will 
not  vex  or  annoy  you,'  she  said,  with  a  beautiful 
liUinility  that  went  straight  to  his  heart.  He  was  not 
only  proud  of  his  beautiful  daughter— he  loved  her  with 
a  tender  love.  But,  in  spite  of  that,  she  must  not  stand 

5 


66  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

in  his  way,  or  interfere  in  any  degree  with  his  wishes 
or  desires.  Even  in  his  love  Mr.  Hazell  was  a  selfish 
man. 

'  Do  good  ?  "Well,  if  it  will  please  you  to  give  away 
money,  I'll  increase  your  allowance,  though  I  say  that 
the  giving  of  charity  is  demoralizing  to  those  that 
receive  it.  There  is  no  need  for  any  person  to  require 
charity.  There  is  plenty  in  the  world  for  all,  and 
honest  work  will  always  command  its  market  value. 
You  should  study  these  things  carefully,  Mary,  and  not 
allow  your  feelings  to  run  away  with  your  common 
sense.  What  good  do  you  suppose  you  can  do  in  the 
Rows  suppose  you  visit  them  every  day  in  the  week, 
eh  ?  Just  let  me  hear.' 

The  brewer's  manner  and  speech  were  brusque, 
but  Mary  knew  that  he  was  not  angry,  and  took 
heart  again. 

'  The  women  are  not  what  they  should  be,  papa. 
They  seem  to  have  so  little  interest  in  their  homes. 
Some  of  them  are  so  squalid.  It  must  be  wearisome, 
of  course,  and  sometimes  disheartening,  to  toil  among  so 
many  little  babies.  The  Trevors  have  eleven,  papa ;  just 
think  of  that !  If  I  were  to  have  a  mother's  meeting 
occasionally  in  the  schoolroom  you  would  not  be  vexed, 
would  you  ? ' 

Mr.  Hazell's  mouth  relaxed  into  a  smile. 

'  Not  I,  but  that  would  be  a  mistake.  What  would 
Mrs.  Trevor,  for  instance,  do  with  the  eleven  while  she 
attended  your  meeting  in  the  schoolroom  ?  She  might 
go  home  to  find  that  half  of  them  had  fallen  into  the 
fire,  and  the  other  half  into  the  Med.' 


BEGINNINGS.  67 

'You  are  laughing  at  me,  papa.  I  would  have  the 
meeting  in  the  evening,  when  the  little  babies  have 
gone  to  bed,  and  the  fathers  are  in  to  look  after  the 
bigger  ones.  The  women  lead  such  monotonous  lives ; 
they  can't  get  to  church,  and  they  have  no  object  in 
life.  I  think  a  pleasant  hour  together,  with  a  cup  of 
tea,  perhaps,  and  the  reading  of  a  nice  story  while  they 
worked,  would  be  so  nice  for  them.  Do  let  me  try  it.' 

'  You  can  try  it  if  you  like,  though  I  can't  for  the 
life  of  me  understand  how  you  can  bother  your  head 
with  such  things  at  all.  There  is  a  good  deal  done  for 
our  people,  Mary,  in  comparison  with  others,  and  1 
must  say  I  don't  think  they  are  a  whit  more  grateful  or 
intelligent.  Perhaps  your  philanthropy  in  Paradise 
Row  will  work  its  own  cure ;  so  we'll  just  leave  you 
alone.  So  the  Beckers  are  going  to  Burnley  ?  They'll 
need  to  go  out  of  the  house  double  quick,  or  Ford  will 
be  at  their  heels.' 

'Oh,  papa,  Mrs.  Becker  asked  that  you  would  not 
send  Ford  to  eject  them.  Surely  he  is  not  a  very  nice 
man.  They  dislike  him  so  in  the  Rows.' 

'  Hem  !  as  they  dislike  everybody  who  conscientiously 
does  his  duty,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  grimly.  '  I  only  wish  I 
had  a  few  more  servants  like  Ford.  He  is  a  thoroughly 
capable  fellow.  Come  in,'  he  added,  in  response  to  a 
knock  at  the  door. 

A  gentleman  entered,  and  Mary  rose  to  go.  She 
glanced  at  him  as  he  closed  the  door,  and  was  conscious 
gf  a  vague  feeling  of  dislike  and  distrust  of  him.  He 
was  a  slight  young  man,  with  fair  hair,  a  sallow  com- 
plexion, and  a  pair  of  unpleasantly  penetrating  grey  eyes, 


68  HAZELL  &r>  SOWS, 

1  Ah,  Ford,  is  it  you  ?  My  daughter — Mary,  this  is 
Mr.  Ford.' 

Mary  acknowledged  the  manager's  obsequious  bow 
with  a  distant  bow.  It  was  not  that  she  was  proud,  or 
wished  to  measure  any  distance  between  herself  and  her 
father's  manager,  but  she  did  not  like  the  appearance  of 
the  man. 

'  Good-bye,  papa.  Mamma  will  be  wearying  for  her 
afternoon  tea,'  she  said,  with  a  smile.  '  You  will  not 
be  late  ? ' 

Mr.  Ford  instantly  held  open  the  door,  and,  as  the 
young  lady  passed  out,  favoured  her  with  a  look  of 
undisguised  admiration,  which  made  the  indignant 
colour  rise  to  her  cheek. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

PERPLEXITIES. 

Mary  reached  home  she  found  Mrs. 
Hazell  in  the  drawing-room  with  a  visitor, 
Miss  Meredith  from  Clieveden. 

She  was  a  little,  slender,  fair-haired  girl, 
with  a  pretty  face  and  a  pleasing,  girlish  manner. 
There  was  not  much  strength  of  character,  perhaps, 
about  Lucy  Meredith,  but  she  was  amiable  and  gentle- 
hearted.  She  was  a  special  favourite  with  Mrs.  Hazell, 
perhaps  because  she  knew  Robert  cared  for  her.  Eleanor 
Hazell  had  a  great  love  for  her  husband's  elder  son. 

'  How  are  you,  Lucy  ?  "What  an  age  it  is  since  1 
saw  you ! '  said  Mary,  taking  the  girl's  hand  in  hers  and 
looking  affectionately  down  into  her  sweet  eyes.  '  I  am 
so  glad  to  see  you.  Mamma,  I  am  afraid  I  am  very 
late.  Let  me  make  out  the  tea,  if  you  don't  mind  my 
dusty  garments.  Guess  where  I've  been  to-day  ?' 

'  I  thought  Paradise  Row  was  your  destination  when 
you  went  out,  my  dear/  said  Mrs.  Hazell,  with  her 
pleasant  smile. 

'  So  it  was,  and  I  fulfilled  my  duty  there  to  the  best 


70  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

of  my  ability;  perhaps  it  was  a  very  poor  best,'  said 
Mary  soberly.  '  Then  I  went  and  invaded  papa's 
sanctum — actually  bearded  the  lion  in  his  den.' 

'  You  were  at  the  brewery  ? ' 

'  Yes ;  I  wanted  particularly  to  see  papa  at  once  about 
the  Beckers.  Do  you  know  them,  Lucy  ?  They  live  in 
Paradise  Eow ;  the  fourth  house,  I  think,  from  this  end.' 

'  I  have  heard  Guy  speak  of  them,  I  think.  The 
man  is  not  very  steady,  is  he  ? ' 

'  No ;  that  is  just  the  family.  Papa  has  dismissed 
James  Becker,'  said  Mary,  with  slightly  clouding  brow. 
'  Do  you  know  the  lad,  Willie  ? ' 

*  Yes ;  he  is  in  Guy's  Bible  class.' 

'  Indeed  !  Has  your  brother  a  Bible  class  in  the  town, 
Lucy  ? ' 

'  Yes,  he  has  had  it  for  years.  It  is  a  splendid  class 
of  forty  young  men  and  lads.' 

'  And  does  he  find  it  do  any  good  ?  Some  more 
sugar,  mamma  ?  How  would  you  do  without  your 
waiting-woman,  eh  ? ' 

'  Not  very  well,  my  darling,'  answered  Eleanor,  with 
a  swift,  appreciative  smile.  '  Mary  has  a  great  deal  to 
learn  about  Medlington,  hasn't  she,  Miss  Meredith  ? 
She  is  quite  a  stranger  in  her  own  town.' 

'  She  is,  indeed.  I  came  from  mamma  to-day,  Mary, 
with  a  special  message.  When  can  you  come  up  and 
see  her  ?  She  thinks  you  have  forgotten  her.' 

'  Mamma  and  I  have  often  talked  of  it.  We  must 
come  before  the  days  grow  cold,  and  before  your  roses 
are  all  blown.  Robert  tells  us  little  bits  now  and  again, 
Lucy.' 


PERPLEXITIES.  71 

Lucy  blushed,  and  her  lips  parted  in  a  sweet,  tender 
smile. 

*  Well,  when  will  you  come  ?  I  seem  to  have  such  a 
lot  to  say  and  to  hear.  You  never  told  me  anything 
about  your  school-life,  Mary.' 

'  Have  I  not  ?  It  seems  almost  unreal  now ;  looking 
back,  I  seem  to  have  been  years  at  home.  I  am 
expecting  my  friend  Madeline  Eayne  shortly  on  a  long 
visit.' 

'  Are  you  ?  I  shall  be  afraid  to  meet  her.  She  is  so 
very  clever,  is  she  not  ? ' 

'  Yes,  I  suppose  she  is.  I  have  never  thought  of  that, 
only  I  know  she  is  dear  and  good/  said  Mary,  a  little 
absently,  for  her  thoughts  had  flown  to  the  old  chateau 
on  the  Rhine  banks,  and  memories  thronged  about  her 
heart.  '  Willie  Becker  is  going  to  the  coal-mines  at 
Burnley,  Lucy,'  she  said,  her  thoughts  reverting,  after  a 
moment,  to  the  subject  which  had  been  engrossing  her 
attention  all  afternoon. 

'  Oh,  that  is  dreadful  for  poor  Willie !  He  is  such  a 
scholar.  Guy  is  always  speaking  of  him.  He  joined 
the  total  abstinence  society  only  a  few  weeks  ago.  It 
was  his  own  request.' 

'  Does  your  brother  superintend  that  also  ? '  asked 
Mary,  with  a  slight  constraint  in  her  voice. 

'  Yes,  he  does.' 

Lucy  Meredith  wished  she  had  not  mentioned  it ;  but 
the  words  had  slipped  from  her  unawares. 

'  That  would  be  one  reason  why  he  refused  papa's 
offer  of  work.  Do  you  think  the  total  abstinence 
society  does  any  good,  Lucy  ? ' 


fa  ffAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  Guy  thinks  it  does.  He  has  known  of  several  young 
men  whom  nothing  else  but  a  binding  pledge  would  have 
kept  sober.' 

'  Ah,  then,  it  must  do  good,'  said  Mary,  with  a  sigh, 
and  she  turned  towards  the  tea-table,  and  was  silent 
while  the  other  two  talked. 

Eleanor  Hazell  saw  that  the  girl's  heart  was  troubled, 
and  she  partly  understood  it.  Mary  had  begun  to 
study  cause  and  effect,  with  the  result  that  she  was 
rendered  restless,  and  even  unhappy.  The  con- 
versation drifted  after  a  little  into  more  general 
topics ;  but,  though  Mary  was  not  quite  silent,  Mrs. 
Hazell  saw  perfectly  •  well  that  she  was  preoccupied. 
Lucy  left  early,  taking  with  her  a  promise  that  the 
ladies  should  come  over  to  Clieveden  on  the  first 
fine  day. 

'  You  are  grieved  about  something,  Mary,'  Mrs.  Hazell 
said  the  moment  they  were  left  alone. 

'  Not  grieving,  exactly,  mamma,  only  feeling  a  little 
perplexed,'  Mary  answered,  throwing  herself  into  a 
swinging  chair,  and  beginning  to  rock  herself  backwards 
and  forwards.  'I  spoke  to  papa  to-day  about  the 
mother's  meeting.' 

'  Yes,  my  dear  ? '  said  Mrs.  Hazell  with  a  touch  of 
anxiety  in  her  voice. 

'  He  says  I  may  have  the  schoolroom  if  I  like,  but  I 
can  see  he  thinks  I  shall  not  do  any  good.  Do  you 
know  Timothy  Carr's  wife  ? ' 

'  I  have  heard  the  name,  but  I  know  very  little  about 
the  workpeople,  Mary.' 

'  Well,  she  has  gone  dreadfully  to  drink,  I  am  told, 


PERPLEXITIES.  73 

and  she  is  actually  cruel  to  her  poor  dear  little  children. 
Mamma,  these  things  weigh  on  my  heart.' 

'  Don't  let  them  vex  you  unduly,  my  darling ;  you 
cannot  help  the  failings  of  others,  and  it  is  the  woman's 
own  fault' 

'  Yes,  but  they  are  so  fearfully  tempted,  mamma. 
Their  houses  are  so  poor  and  squalid,  and  the  "Base-Ball" 
so  near.  I  wish  that  place  could  be  shut  up ;  and  yet, 
what  right ' — 

She  stopped  short,  not  wishing  to  grieve  Mrs.  Hazell 
by  casting  a  reflection  on  the  brewery.  But  Eleanor 
Hazell  knew  quite  well  what  was  passing  in  the  girl's 
mind,  and  was  deeply  sorry  for  her. 

'  You  have  written  to  Miss  Eayne  to-day,  dear  ? '  she 
said,  changing  the  subject. 

A  gleam  of  sunshine  smiled  through  the  gloom  on 
Mary's  face.  '  Yes,  and  in  a  few  days  she  will  be  hert. 
She  will  make  everything  clear  and  plain.  I  hope  you 
will  love  Lena,  mamma.  I  shall  be  dreadfully  disap- 
pointed if  you  don't  take  to  each  other  at  once.' 

'  I  am  prepared  to  be  very  fond  of  her,  my  dear,  for 
your  sake,'  was  the  kind  answer.  '  Is  that  your  father 
and  the  boys  already  ?  But,  dear  me,  it  is  half-past  five  ! ' 

Mary  sprang  up,  gathered  her  outdoor  wraps  together, 
and  went  up  to  her  own  room  to  change  her  dress  for 
dinner.  Herbert  was  very  decorous  and  subdued  at  table, 
and  there  was  no  allusion  made  to  his  escapade  of  the 
previous  night.  It  was  Mr.  Hazell's  custom  to  take  a 
_nap  every  evening  after  dinner.  When  Robert  was  not 
at  Clieveden,  he  spent  the  evening  in  the  drawing-room, 
sometimes  alone,  or  practising  duets  with  his  sister.  His 


74  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

tastes  were  quiet,  he  enjoyed  the  society  of  the  ladies , 
but  Herbert  found  an  evening  at  home  an  insufferable 
bore. 

'  Lucy  was  here  to-day,  Robert,'  Mary  said,  when  her 
brothers  came  up  after  having  smoked  a  cigar  together 
on  the  terrace. 

'  Was  she  ?     I  am  going  over  to-night.' 
'  Are  you  ?     She  did  not  say  she  expected  you.' 
'  No  ;  but   I  met   Meredith   this  afternoon,  and  he 
asked  me.     Are  you  going  out,  Bertie  ?     "Would  you 
come  with  me  ? ' 

'Oh  no,  thanks.  I  don't  want  to  go  out.  Besides, 
I  don't  enjoy  playing  gooseberry,'  he  answered,  with  a 
laugh.  '  I  may  go  down  town  later.  I  was  to  see  Atkins.' 
Shortly  afterwards  Robert  left  the  house.  Mr.  Hazell 
had  a  corporation  meeting  to  attend,  and  drove  into  the 
town  before  eight  o'clock.  Herbert  wandered  restlessly 
about  the  drawing-room,  and  at  last,  with  a  murmured 
excuse  to  Mrs.  Hazell,  left  the  ladies  alone.  He  could 
not  rest  at  home.  No  sooner  was  his  anxiety  concern- 
ing his  latest  escapade  set  at  rest,  than  he  was  thinking 
longingly  of  the  excitement  of  Gregory's  rooms.  Then 
there  was  his  watch.  He  must  win  it  back  again  before 
his  father  missed  it,  or  there  would  be  a  scene  over  it. 
He  took  a  by-way  to  the  town — a  little  unfrequented 
path  which  skirted  the  face  of  a  wooded  slope  above 
the  river.  It  was  a  private  road  belonging  to  the 
Hazelwood  property,  but  Mr.  Hazell  did  not  insist  upon 
his  right  of  way.  It  was  used  indiscriminately  by  those 
who  loved  a  quiet,  picturesque  walk,  and  was  much 
frequented  by  lovers. 


PERPLEXITIES.  75 

Many  a  time  had  Mary  Hazell,  in  her  rrnilcap,  girlish 
days,  lain  in  wait  for  country  swains,  and  then  rehearsed 
what  she  had  seen  and  heard  for  the  benefit  of  her 
father  and  brothers.  She  had  a  rare  gift  for  mimicry, 
which,  in  her  earlier  years,  she  had  t-iken  full  advan- 
tage of,  but  when  she  went  to  Bonn,  she  had  laid  it,  in 
great  part,  aside.  Madeline  Rayne  had  pointed  out  the 
danger  of  such  a  gift,  and  had  shown  her  that  its  reck- 
less use  was  not  kind.  Mary  had  been  falling  into 
that  foolish  and  disagreeable  habit  of  turning  every 
person  and  everything  into  ridicule.  Happily  she  had 
just  been  checked  in  time. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  Herbert  left  the  house,  but 
the  moon  rose  before  he  had  gone  far  on  his  way.  He 
sauntered  leisurely  along  the  path,  puffing  his  cigar,  and 
occasionally  pausing  to  look  through  the  gaps  in  the 
trees  at  the  silver  thread  of  the  river  winding  at  the 
base  of  the  slope.  The  landscape,  though  not  very 
picturesque  in  daylight,  looked  fair  enough  under  the 
mystic  touch  of  the  moon.  Even  the  tall  chimneys  of 
the  brewery  were  softened  into  a  graceful  outline  against 
the  mild  autumn  sky.  Some  leaves  had  already  fallen, 
and  they  made  a  gentle  rustling  under  foot.  It  was 
just  the  time  and  the  place  for  quiet  meditation. 
Herbert  was  meditating,  certainly,  but  it  was  on  various 
rather  perplexing  problems.  There  were  at  least  two 
entanglements  in  Medlington  which  were  causing  him 
some  anxiety.  One  was  a  debt  he  owed  to  Mr.  Miles 
Gregory  ;  the  other  a  promise  he  had  made  to  Mr.  Miles 
Gregory's  daughter. 

The  upland  path,  as  it  was  familiarly  called,  ended 


»6  HAZELL  &•  SONS. 

somewhat  abruptly,  and  made  a  rapid  descent  on  to  the 
public  highway  which  skirted  the  river  bank  and  passed 
the  Hazel  wood  gates.  Just  at  the  foot  of  the  path,  and 
almost  directly  facing  a  foot-bridge  over  the  Med,  stood 
a  neat,  compact  little  house,  half  villa,  half  cottage, 
surrounded  by  a  picturesque  and  well-stocked  garden. 
It  had  a  paddock  behind,  which  was  separated  by  a 
group  of  lime  trees  from  a  wide  stretch  of  waste  moor- 
land called  the  Common.  The  house  was  called  Miles- 
wood,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Miles  Gregory.  Herbert 
Hazell  knew  it  well  both  outside  and  in.  Many  an 
hour  he  had  spent  in  the  cosy  sitting-room,  playing 
bezique  and  backgammon  with  Mr.  Gregory,  and  making 
love  to  Mr.  Gregory's  handsome  daughter.  He  looked 
quickly  round,  perhaps  to  see  whether  there  was  any 
one  in  sight,  and  then  entered  the  garden  by  the  side 
gate,  and  knocked  with  the  head  of  his  cane  on  the 
door.  He  was  immediately  admitted  and  shown  into 
the  sitting-room.  There  was  a  lady  there  alone,  a  stout, 
rubicund,  motherly-looking  person,  rather  over-dressed, 
but  still  not  unpl easing  to  look  at. 

'  Law,  is  it  you,  Mr.  Herbert  ?  I  was  just  saying  to 
Janie  this  very  day  surely  we  'adn't  seen  you  for  an 
age.  Sit  down,  sit  down,  and  have  a  drop  o'  suthin', 
an'  I'll  send  Patty  out  after  her.' 

'  Is  she  not  in,  Mrs.  Gregory  ?  ' 

'  No.  She'd  been  mopin'  in  the  house  all  day,  an' 
ran  out  jis'  about  fifteen  minutes  ago  for  a  mouthful  o' 
fresh  air.  Sit  down.  You'll  never  go  without  seein' 
Janie,  Mr.  Herbert,'  said  Airs.  Gregory  coquettishly. 
'  She'd  break  'er  heart  over  it.  Sit  down  an'  tell  us 


PERPLEXITIES.  77 

what's  come  over  you  this  age.  We  sees  you  goin'  up 
an'  we  sees  you  goin'  down,  an'  Janie  watches  behind 
the  curtain  there  as  a  cat  on  a  watch  for  a  mouse,  but 
never  a  look  nor  a  nod  do  you  give.  It's  too  bad,  Mr. 
Herbert,  an'  so  friendly  as  you've  allus  been  'ere.' 

'  We  have  been  a  good  deal  down  at  Sandgate,  you 
know,  and  since  my  sister  came  home  there  have  been 
more  people  at  the  house,'  said  Herbert  in  explanation. 
'  I'll  just  go  out  and  meet  Janie.  I  have  a  pretty  good 
guess  where  she  will  be.' 

'  Oh,  very  well.  If  you've  any  little  tiff  to  clear  up, 
pr'aps  you'd  better  do  it  outside,'  said  Mrs.  Gregory, 
with  a  laugh.  '  Off  you  go,  and  don't  bide  too  long,  an' 
I'll  have  a  bit  o'  somethin'  nice  for  supper  against  you 
come  in.  Janie's  in  the  dumps  about  something,  that  I 
know.  You'll  not  play  with  my  gel,  Mr.  Herbert  ? 
She's  all  we  have  now,  and  we're  very  fond  o'  her.' 

There  was  something  touching  in  the  motherly 
solicitude  of  Mrs.  Gregory's  look  and  tone. 

'  No,  no,  honour  bright,  Mrs.  Gregory.  I'm  awfully 
fond  of  Janie,  but  you  know  I  have  to  be  cautious  in 
feeling  my  way.  If  anything  was  to  come  out  just 
now,  there  would  be  an  awful  row.' 

'  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  why,'  said  Mrs.  Gregory, 
bristling  up.  '  Our  gel's  as  good  a  gel  as  ever  lived  ; 
an'  for  looks,  she'll  come  nigh  your  sister,  anyway,  Mr. 
Herbert,  if  you'll  excuse  me  sayin'  it.  An'  she  wouldn't 
go  to  you  empty-handed  either  ;  her  father  '11  see  to 
that.  Me  an'  Gregory  may  be  common  folks,  riz  from 
nothin',  maybe,  but  we  know  what's  what.  We've 
allus  expected  Janie  to  make  a  good  match,  an'  we've 


78  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

edicated  her  for  it.  You  can't  deny,  now  that  she 
plays  the  pianny  somethin'  splendid  ? ' 

'  She  has  a  brilliant  touch,  certainly,'  Herbert  an- 
swered, unable  to  suppress  a  smile. 

'  An'  I've  never  let  her  sile  her  hands,  which  are  as 
white  as  your  sister's  is  fit  to  be,  Mr.  Herbert,'  con- 
tinued Mrs.  Gregory,  with  an  earnestness  which  had 
something  pathetic  as  well  as  comical  in  it.  '  I've 
wanted  to  speak  to  you  on  the  quiet  for  a  long  time, 
though  Janie  dared  me  to  do  it.  She's  a  queerish  girl, 
our  Janie,  Mr.  Herbert,  but  as  good  as  gold.  You 
should  see  how  she  looks  out  at  Miss  Hazell  when  she 
goes  past.  Your  sister  looks  a  haughty  young  lady, 
Mr.  Herbert.  Do  you  think  she'll  look  very  much 
down  on  Janie  ?  ' 

'  I'm  sure  she  won't,'  said  Herbert  emphatically, 
beginning  to  move  towards  the  door.  '  She's  a  real 
good  girl,  and  would  do  anything  for  me/ 

'  Would  she,  now  ?  That's  nice  of  her.  Well,  Mr. 
Herbert,  I  wish  you'd  settle  it  all  soon ;  becos  it's 
horrid  to  keep  hidin'  things,  an'  folks  is  begun  to  know 
you  come  a  lot  here,  and  walk  Janie  out.  If  the  old 
man  should  be  stingy  at  first,  I'd  be  willin'  to  pay  a 
rent  for  a  house — say  one  of  them  pretty  cottages  in 
Amanda  Terrace.  Nobody'd  be  any  the  wiser — not 
even  Gregory ;  for  I've  my  own  little  pile  in  the  bank, 
Mr.  Herbert,  and  what  would  I  do  with  it  if  not  let  it 
go  to  make  my  little  gel  happy  ?  ' 

'  You  are  too  good,  Mrs.  Gregory,  but  there  '11  never 
be  any  need  for  that,'  said  Herbert  Hazell  quickly.  '  I 
hope  you  won't  say  anything  outside,  because  if  it 


PERPLEXITIES.  79 

comes  to  my  father's  ears  it  '11  get  me  into  a  frightful 
scrape.  He's  a  very  proud  man,  and  I  must  come 
round  him  by  degrees.' 

'  Proud,  is  he  ? '  exclaimed  Mrs.  Gregory,  with  a 
mild  scorn.  '  Well,  he  needn't  be,  seein'  his  father  was 
once  a  drayman  at  Hazell's,  when  it  was  Bentley's. 
Are  you  off?  Don't  take  offence.  Mr.  Herbert — I 
don't  mean  no  impertinence ;  an'  don't  tell  Janie,  for, 
mercy  me !  she'll  be  down  on  me,  you've  no  idea.' 

'  No,  no !  Good-night,  in  case  I  don't  look  in  again,' 
said  Herbert  hastily,  as  he  quitted  the  room. 

The  woman  made  him  feel  ill,  but  the  meshes  were 
woven  closely  round  him,  and  it  would  be  difficult,  if 
indeed  possible,  to  free  himself  from  the  chain  which 
had  become  intolerable. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

HEMMED    IN. 

ERBERT  HAZELL  went  quickly  down  the 
garden  path,  through  the  wicket,  which  was 
open,  and  then  paused  for  a  moment  to  scan 
the  moorland.  The  light  from  the  full  moon 
was  beautifully  clear,  and  he  could  see  right  across  the 
expanse  to  the  low  range  of  hills  which  hemmed  it  in. 
There  was  not  a  solitary  being  to  be  seen  on  the  common, 
but  Herbert  knew  very  well  where  he  could  find  the 
person  he  sought.  He  struck  across  the  corner  of  the 
moor  to  where  a  lonely  patch  of  wood  stood  out  against 
the  sky — a  little  oasis  where  the  cows  sheltered  from 
the  heat  in  the  summer-time,  and  the  sheep  from  the 
snow  in  the  winter.  Many  a  tryst  had  Herbert  Hazell 
kept  with  Miss  Gregory  at  the  knoll.  As  he  approached 
it,  he  caught  the  gleam  of  something  white  among  the 
trees,  and  then  the  movement  of  a  figure  which  he 
instantly  recognised.  She  saw  him  coming,  but  did  not 
offer  to  come  and  meet  him.  She  was  standing  against 
the  gnarled  trunk  of  an  old  oak  tree,  against  which  her 
white  shawl  showed  in  fine  relief.  She  wore  a  dark 

80 


HEMMED  IN.  81 

dress,  and  a  little  tweed  cap,  which,  however,  was  not 
allowed  to  interfere  with  the  elaborately  curled  fringe 
which  adorned  her  brow.  She  had  a  pretty  but  rather 
pert  face,  a  trifle  sallow  in  colour,  but  relieved  by  a  pair 
of  large  and  brilliant  black  eyes.  Miss  Gregory  was 
proud  of  her  eyes,  which  were  doubtless  her  chief  charm. 
She  was  rather  under  the  middle  height,  and  inclined  to 
plumpness.  The  smallness  of  her  waist  looked  a  liltle 
out  of  proportion  with  her  square,  well-built  shoulders. 
Her  face  wore  an  expression  of  perfect  indifference, 
but  her  eyes  softened  wonderfully  as  the  young  man 
approached.  He  had  won  her  heart,  and  she  loved  him 
with  a  passionate  love,  but  she  was  not  a  meek,  gentle, 
pliable  maiden  by  any  means.  She  exacted  more 
attention,  sometimes,  than  Herbert  Hazell  was  willing 
to  give. 

'  Well,  Janie,  my  love,  how  are  you  ? '  he  said,  and 
gently  tapped  her  shoulder  as  if  he  had  a  perfect  right 
to  do  so. 

'  I  am  very  well,  thank  you,'  she  said  coldly,  and 
drew  herself  back  a  little. 

She  meant  to  punish  him  for  his  inattention.  More 
than  a  fortnight  had  elapsed  since  his  last  visit  to 
Mileswood. 

'  Hulloa ;  are  you  going  to  cut  me  ? '  he  asked,  with 
a  kind  of  bantering  fondness.  '  Don't,  Janie.  I  couldn't 
help  it,  and  I'm  awfully  glad  to  see  you.  It  seems  an 
age  since  I  saw  your  sweet  face.' 

.  Her  mouth  relaxed  a  little  into  a  smile.  His  way  was 
wonderfully  winning.  It  was  impossible  to  resist  it. 

'  Oh  yes ;  that's  a  fine  story,'  she  said,  with  affected 


82  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

unbelief.  '  Why,  you've  passed  the  door  twenty  times 
without  a  look.  I  believe  you're  tired  of  me,  Herbert.' 

'  Tired  of  you  !  No,  I'm  not.  I  only  wish  I  had  yob 
all  to  myself,'  he  said  rashly.  '  I  was  in  the  house,  and 
the  old  lady  took  me  to  task,  Janie.' 

'Ma's  tongue's  miles  too  long,  said  Janie  quickly. 
'  What  did  she  say  ? ' 

'  Oh,  she  wanted  me  to  fix  the  day.  You'll  have  to 
keep  her  in  order,  Janie,  till  I  get  things  gradually 
smoothed  away.' 

'  They  take  a  mighty  lot  of  smoothing,'  she  said,  with 
a  tinge  of  bitter  discontent  in  her  voice.  '  It's  more 
than  a  year  since  we  got  engaged.  I  hate  this  secrecy, 
Herbert.  How  much  longer  has  it  to  go  on  ? ' 

'  Well,  I  don't  know.  Things  are  all  at  sixes  and 
sevens  with  me.  The  governor  and  I  can't  get  on,  and 
it  would  be  no  use  to  ask  a  rise,  for  I  wouldn't  get  it. 
He'd  tell  me  quick  enough  I  don't  work  for  what  I  get 
already.  He's  an  awfully  hard  old  beggar,  Janie.' 

'  He  doesn't  look  like  it,'  said  Miss  Gregory  doubt- 
fully. '  Is  it  true  your  brother's  going  to  be  married 
to  Miss  Meredith  ? ' 

1  Yes,  I  believe  it  is.  I  think  he's  spoken  to  the 
governor  about  it ;  but  Bob's  very  close  about  his  own 
affairs.  I  daresay  Mollie  knows,  and  she'd  tell  me  if  I 
ask  her.' 

'  It's  nearly  four  months  since  your  sister  came  home, 
and  I've  never  seen  her  yet.  Don't  you  remember 
you  said  you'd  tell  her  all  about  it,  and  that  she'd  call 
when  she  came  home.' 

'  Well,  you  see,  I've  never  had  a  proper  chance  wit}) 


HEMMED  IN.  83 

Molly,  she's  so  much  taken  up  with  Mrs.  Hazell ;  we're 
not  the  chums  we  \\ere.  I'm  getting  awfully  sick  of 
Medlington,  Janie.  Would  you  go  away  to  a  new 
country  with  me  ? ' 

'  What  would  be  the  use  of  that  ? '  asked  Miss 
Gregory.  She  did  not  at  all  approve  of  such  a  proposal. 
She  was  ambitious  aud  vain,  and  wanted  to  marry  well 
in  her  own  town,  where  those  who  had  known  her  all 
her  life  would  be  witnesses  to  her  ascent  of  the  social 
ladder.  What  would  be  the  use  of  making  a  fine 
marriage  and  then  running  off  to  a  strange  new 
country  where  nobody  knew  her  ?  Such  a  prospect  did 
not  at  all  commend  itself  to  Miles  Gregory's  aspiring 
daughter. 

'  I  heard  you  were  locked  out  last  night,'  she  said 
presently. 

'  How  did  you  hear  that  ? ' 

'  I  was  talking  to  Kitty  the  housemaid  this  afternoon 
— I  was  in  the  garden  when  ahe  passed  on  some  errands. 
Kitty  keeps  me  posted  up  in  all  the  doings  of  Hazel- 
wood.' 

'  I  wonder  you  would  stoop  to  gossip  with  the  servant 
girls,  Janie,'  he  said  angrily.  '  How  do  you  suppose  you 
could  ever  keep  up  any  position  afterwards  before 
them  ? ' 

'  Oh,  when  I  have  the  position  to  keep  up,  I'll  sit  on 
all  their  kiud  without  any  scruple,'  said  Miss  Gregory 
flippantly.  '  You  leave  me  alone — I  know  what's  what, 
and  can  do  it  too ;  but  in  the  meantime  I  like  to  know 
what's  going  on.  It's  not  a  bad  thing  to  have  a  friend 
at  court,' 


84  HAZELL  6r»  SONS. 

'  I  suppose  you've  told  Kitty  we're  engaged,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort/  he  said  sarcastically. 

'  Perhaps  I  have  and  perhaps  I  haven't,'  said  Miss 
Gregory  coolly ;  but  he  knew  quite  well  she  was  too 
prudent  for  that.  '  I  say,  Kitty  says  your  sister's 
awfully  nice,  but  I  think  she  is  very  proud.  I  saw 
her  go  past  this  afternoon  just  after  Kitty.  She  walks 
like  a  duchess.  Do  you  think  she  and  I  would  get 
on?' 

'Oh,  I  daresay  you  would,'  said  Herbert  absently 
but  in  his  own  mind  he  had  his  doubts.  Mary  was 
very  fastidious  in  some  things,  and  Miss  Gregory  had 
not  many  fine  feelings.  She  often  said  and  did  things 
which  jarred  on  his  sensibilities,  though  he  cared  foi 
her  after  a  fashion.  It  must  be  told  that  it  was  since 
Mary's  homecoming  that  he  had  seen  glaring  faults  in 
Jane  Gregory.  He  had  been  madly  in  love  with  her  a 
year  ago,  and  had  solemnly  promised  to  make  her  his 
wife.  How  he  regretted  that  promise  we  may  see 
hereafter. 

'There  is  a  young  lady  coming  from  Germany  tc 
visit  your  sister,  isn't  there?'  asked  Miss  Gregory 
presently. 

'  I  believe  there  is,'  he  admitted.  '  I  think  I  must 
warn  Mrs.  Hazell  about  that  girl's  gossip.  It'll  make 
them  careful  what  they  say  before  her.' 

'  Oh  no,  you  won't,  because  you'll  have  to  tell  how 
you  knew  she  gossiped,  dear,'  said  Miss  Gregory.  '  Don't 
go  falling  in  love  with  this  fine  friend  of  your  sister's.' 

'  Fine  friend  !  I  wish  you  saw  her.  She'll  pass  foi 
my  great-grandmother.  "Would  you  care,  Janie  ?  I  don't 


HEMMED  IN.  85 

believe  you  would,  though  I  were  to  fall  in  love  with 
her/ 

'  Wouldn't  I  ? ' 

An  unbidden  tear  sprang  to  the  girl's  beautiful 
eye,  and  her  mouth  trembled.  That  softening  touch 
made  her  face  almost  beautiful,  and  showed  that  under 
all  the  flippancy  and  banter  there  was  a  warm,  pulsing 
woman's  heart  Herbert  Hazell  saw  the  tear  and 
the  trembling  lip,  and  in  a  moment  had  her  to  his 
heart.  He  was  easily  touched,  and  he  could  not  forget 
that  he  had  loved  her  passionately  once.  So  the  old 
vows  were  renewed  with  still  greater  fervour,  and  he 
bound  about  him  yet  more  firmly  his  chain  of  bondage. 

'  I  don't  see  how  we're  ever  to  get  married,  Janie, 
unless  we  go  off  abroad  together,'  he  said  presently. 
'I'm  sure  the  governor  would  never  give  in,  and  to 
marry  without  his  consent  would  mean  an  end  put  to 
the  meagre  allowance  I  have.' 

'  Why  should  he  object  ? '  asked  Miss  Gregory 
jealously.  '  Pa's  rich,  and  he  makes  his  money  in 
much  the  same  way  as  Mr.  Hazell.  I  don't  see  that 
much  difference  between  making  and  selling/ 

'  I  only  wish  he  heard  you,  that's  all' 

'  It  might  do  him  good,'  was  Miss  Gregory's  smart 
retort.  '  If  you'd  tell  him  more  plain  truths  like  that, 
you'd  find  yourself  a  trifle  better  off.  You  and  your 
brother  have  always  been  too  soft,  just  like  big  babies, 
everybody  says/ 

'  You  are  very  complimentary,  Miss  Gregory/ 

'  No,  but  I'm  candid.  I've  heard  pa  say  that  times 
over.  You'll  get  all  your  thanks  in  one  day  when  the 


86  HAZELL  <&•  SONS. 

wife  gets  it  all.  Come  on  in.  It  is  chilly  here  now,' 
said  Janie,  beginning  to  move  away  from  the  knoll. 

'  I  say,  isn't,  it  a  queer  thing  for  your  brother  to  take 
up  with  the  Merediths  ? '  she  said  presently.  '  They're 
such  teetotallers.  Guy  Meredith's  perfectly  mad  on 
the  subject.  I've  heard  that  your  sister  preaches 
temperance  at  the  Rows  too,  and  that  it  doesn't  go  very 
well  down.' 

'You  hear  a  great  deal  of  nonsense,  Janie,'  said 
Herbert,  a  little  crossly.  He  was  tired  of  her  already. 
In  ordinary  conversation  she  often  wearied  and  disgusted 
him.  She  could  only  talk  about  her  neighbours  and  the 
gossip  of  the  town ;  her  mind  was  frivolous  and  empty. 
At  times  the  desire  for  better  things,  the  yearning  after 
a  purer  and  nobler  life,  visited  the  young  man,  and  in 
these  moments  Jane  Gregory  could  not  help ;  nay,  she 
hindered  him,  although  she  was  not  conscious  of  it. 
She  had  blunted  some  of  his  finer  sensibilities.  One 
thing  was  certain,  she  didn  t  present  to  him  a  very 
exalted  type  of  womanhood.  It  was  not  that  sbe 
lacked  education,  or  even  a  kind  of  outward  polish 
which  might  have  passed  for  good  manners,  but  the 
tone  of  her  mind  was  not  high.  She  did  not  exact 
that  most  absolute  respect  which  is  every  good  woman's 
due,  and  which  never  fails  her  when  she  is  true  to  her 
womanhood.  Jane  Gregory  had  shown  herself  too 
eager  to  be  flattered  and  made  love  to  by  the  brewer's 
son.  I  fear  I  must  add  that  she  had  done  more  tban 
half  the  wooing.  But  she  had  her  good  points,  which 
were  revealed  when  she  had  to  meet  a  crisis  in  her  life. 

'  I'll  never  go  abroad  of  my  own  free  will  for  y^a  or 


HEMMED  IN.  87 

anybody  else/  she  said  coolly.  '  I  mean  to  marry  and 
settle  here,  where  everybody  knows  ma' 

1  Then  it  must  be  the  marrying  and  the  settling  you 
care  about,  and  not  me,'  returned  Herbert  quickly.  '  If 
you  liked  me,  you'd  go  anywhere  with  me.' 

'  Maybe ;  but  it  would  look  like  as  if  you  were 
ashamed  to  live  here  with  me,'  she  maintained.  '  Why 
are  you  holding  out  your  hand  ?  Aren't  you  coming  in 
to  supper?' 

'  Not  to-night,  I  think.' 

'  Oh,  come  in  ;  don't  be  vexed  with  me.  I've  only 
been  chaffing,'  she  said  coaxingly.  '  Pa'll  be  in  at  nine 
or  half-past.  He'll  be  sorry  not  to  see  you.' 

Herbert  hesitated  a  moment.  There  was  not  much 
at  Hazel  wood  to  tempt  him  back — only  Mrs.  Hazell 
and  Mary  reading  quietly  by  the  fire  ;  besides,  he  wanted 
a  private  word  with  Miles  Gregory  about  his  watch. 
Janie  saw  his  hesitation,  and  opened  the  door.  Then 
they  entered  the  house  together.  Mr.  Gregory  was  in 
the  sitting-room.  It  was  his  custom  generally  to  come 
home  to  a  hot  supper  about  nine,  and  then  go  back  to 
close  up.  But  on  Saturday  nights  he  was  obliged  to 
content  himself  with  a  pie  and  a  drink  of  ale  at  the 
tavern.  The  supper,  something  smelling  savourily  of 
onions,  was  on  the  table ;  but  Mr.  Gregory  was  busy 
with  the  local  evening  paper,  which  was  published  three 
afternoons  in  the  week  in  Medlington.  He  looked  up, 
gave  young  Hazoll  a  familiar  nod,  and  threw  aside  the 
.  paper. 

'  Been  studyin'  the  stars,  you  an'  Janie,  eh  ? '  he  asked 
jocularly.  '  She's  uncommon  smart  at  all  kinds  o' 


88  HAZRLL  &  SONS. 

sciences  except  cookin'  an'  dustin'  up  a  house.  I  say 
sometimes  to  my  missus  that  the  darter  may  be  orna- 
mental, but  she  certainly  can't  be  called  useful.  Have 
a  seat  and  a  bite  along  o'  us.' 

'No,  thanks,  it  isn't  long  since  I  dined,'  answered 
Herbert,  but  took  the  offered  seat.  He  did  not  like  the 
man,  nor  anything  pertaining  to  him,  and  yet  a  curious 
attraction  brought  him  night  after  night  into  his  com- 
pany, either  in  his  own  house  or  at  the  club-rooms. 

'  Feel  rather  seedy  to-night,  eh  ?  You  look  it,'  said 
Mr.  Gregory,  as  the  young  man  drew  near  the  fire. 

'  Yes,  I'm  seedy ;  I'm  not  going  near  that  beastly 
place  again,'  he  said  crossly.  '  What  about  my  watch, 
Gregory  ? ' 

'  Ay,  what  about  it  ? '  asked  Gregory  dryly,  as  he  fell 
to  with  knife  and  fork. 

'  I  suppose  I'll  need  to  go  and  win  it  back.  If  I 
hadn't  had  drink  I'd  have  left  when  my  money  was  done.' 

'  Well,  why  had  you  drink  ?  I  didn't  force  it  down 
your  throat,'  said  the  tavern-keeper  offensively,  as  he 
helped  himself  to  a  long  draught  of  strong  ale. 

'  That's  the  way  of  you  gents,'  he  continued,  when 
Hazell  made  no  reply.  '  You  make  fools  of  yourselves, 
and  then  blame  me.  Mr.  Atkins  was  at  me  in  the 
same  strain  to-night.  I  gave  it  'm  hot  and  strong,  I 
tell  you.  I  don't  want  you  to  come  if  you  don't  want. 
You're  free-will  agents,  I  reckon,  and  the  "  Base-Ball " 
can  get  along  without  you.  Do  you  want  your  watch 
back?  Has  the  governor  been  askin'  after  it?' 

'No;  but  I  want  it,  Gregory.  It's  not  convenient 
to  be  without  it.' 


HEMMED  IN.  89 

'  It's  a  pretty  toy.  I  was  thinkin'  on  givin'  it  to 
Janie  to  wear  as  a  kind  of  keepsake/  said  Mr.  Gregory, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye.  '  You  wouldn't  object  to 
that,  I  s'pose  ? ' 

Herbert  made  no  reply.  Gregory  was  particularly 
disagreeable.  The  young  man  almost  hated  him  at  that 
moment. 

'  Is  it  all  fair  and  square  between  Janie  and  you  ? ' 
he  asked  presently,  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  and  wiping 
his  mouth  with  his  red  handkerchief.  '  The  missus  and 
me's  been  talkin'  o'  it,  an'  we've  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  we're  sick  o'  this  shilly-shallyin'.  When  is  it  to 
be  ?  That's  what  I  want  to  be  at ! ' 

'  I  don't  know.  How  can  I  marry  when  I  have  not 
as  much  as  keep  myself?'  asked  Herbert  Hazell  gloomily. 

'  There's  plenty  in  the  concern,  as  I  know/  said  Mr. 
Gregory  quietly,  'an'  I  don't  see  why  the  owner  should 
be  so  selfish  with  it.  You'll  need  to  make  him  stump 
up,  my  man,  or  I'll  maybe  give  him  a  word  o'  comfort 
myself  one  o'  these  days.' 

'  You'll  find  yourself  in  the  wrong  box,  I  doubt, 
Gregory/  said  Herbert,  with  a  short  laugh.  '  I  was 
speaking  to  Janie  to-night  If  she'd  go  abroad  with  me, 
I'd  go  to-morrow.' 

'  I  daresay ;  but  I  won't  let  her.  No  man  shall 
sneak  off  with  my  gel,  as  if  he  were  ashamed  of  her. 
She'll  stand  a  look  an'  hold  her  own  any  day  in  Med- 
lington.  An'  that's  where  it's  to  be !  I  give  you  three 
months  to  make  up  your  mind,  Mr.  Hazell.  You've 
dangled  after  her,  an'  keep  others  away,  an'  you're  not 
goin'  to  shuffle  out  o'  it  now.  I'll  see  to  that/ 


90  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

The  young  man's  face  flushed,  but  he  had  not  a  word 
to  say. 

'  Three  months,  my  boy,  and  then  I  goes  to  the  old 
boy  an'  tells  him  the  whole  story,  an'  lets  him  know 
how  much  he's  got  to  stump  up.  I  was  lookin'  the 
book  this  afternoon,  an'  it's  a  pretty  round  sum — nearer 
two  hundred  than  one — you  owe  me.  But  if  you're 
open  and  square  with  my  gel,  an'  tell  your  father  about 
her,  and  bring  your  women-folks  to  call  on  mine,  an' 
hev  the  marriage  in  St.  Nicholas'  afore  six  months,  I'll 
never  say  a  word.  That  little  sum  '11  be  wiped  out — 
it'll  be  a  kind  o'  marriage  gift,  as  it  were.  So  there's 
my  terms — an'  very  generous  an'  kind  I'm  sure  they 
are ;  an'  to  show  I'm  in  earnest,  there's  your  watch  back 
as  a  pledge.' 

Herbert  took  the  watch,  which  Mr.  Gregory  produced 
from  his  watch-pocket,  and  hastily  slipped  it  into  his 
own.  At  that  moment  the  ladies  entered  the  room,  and 
the  private  conversation  was  at  an  end. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MADELINE    RAYNK 

|ARY  HAZELL  was  walking  impatiently  up 
and  down  the  platform  at  Medliugton  Rail- 
way station  awaiting  the  London  train.  A 
boy  was  holding  her  poiiies  in  the  station 
enclosure,  Mary  being  too  excited  to  sit  still  in  the 
phaeton.  She  was  waiting  for  Madeline  Eayne.  It 
was  a  still,  sere  October  day.  The  sky  was  grey,  but 
not  gloomy,  nay,  there  was  even  a  glimmer  of  soft 
brightness  on  the  horizon,  although  the  sun  had  been 
.  veiled  all  day.  A  soft  rain  had  fallen  in  the  night,  and 
the  roads  were  muddy,  and  the  country  lanes  strewn 
thick  with  autumn  leaves.  The  trees,  half -stripped, 
stood  out  solemn  sentinels  against  the  quiet  sky,  there 
was  a  hush  in  the  moist,  mild  air,  as  if  nature  were 
resting  a  brief  space  before  she  should  be  torn  with  the 
winter  conflict.  In  spite  of  her  gladness,  Mary  was 
conscious  of  a  curious  feeling  of  depression,  almost  of 
sadness.  Peihaps  the  state  of  affairs  at  home  conduced 
to  such  a  state  of  mind.  Mrs.  llazell  had  caught  a 
chill  at  an  evening  party,  and  had  been  for  some  days 

ti 


92  HAZELL  &•  SONS. 

confined  entirely  to  her  room.  Mr.  Hazell  was  in  a 
chronic  state  of  ill-humour.  He  had  decided  to  be 
hugely  displeased  about  Eobert's  wooing  of  Lucy  Mere- 
dith, and  had  practically  withheld  his  consent.  At 
least  he  had  not  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  Eobert's 
pointedly  expressed  expectation  that  in  the  event  of  his 
marriage  a  fitting  income  would  be  provided.  The  old 
man  forgot  apparently  that  his  lads  had  grown  to  be 
men,  and  he  resented  any  action  taken  by  them  without 
consulting  him.  Then  he  did  not  like  the  Merediths, 
chiefly  because  of  their  active  exertions  in  the  temper- 
ance cause  in  Medlington.  These  water-drinkers,  as  he 
contemptuously  called  them,  were  not  at  all  to  his 
mind,  and  he  often  wondered  that  Gny  Meredith  got 
any  business  in  the  town.  But,  in  spite  of  his  eccen- 
tricities in  the  way  of  temperance  advocacy  and  earnest 
gospel  work,  Guy  Meredith's  business  did  increase.  He 
was  a  Christian  lawyer,  and  was  trusted  accordingly. 

In  consequence  of  his  father's  open  displeasure,  Robert 
Hazell  was  a  trifle  depressed.  There  was  something 
else,  however,  weighing  more  heavily  on  his  mind.  He 
could  not  get  rid  of  the  conviction  that  the  business  in 
which  his  father  had  made  his  money,  and  to  which  he 
had  been  trained,  was  not  one  whose  operations  could 
be  useful  or  helpful  to  any.  There  was  a  great  deal  of 
drunkenness  in  Medlington,  and  too  much  tippling 
constantly  among  the  men  at  the  brewery.  He  had 
screened  several,  whose  misdemeanours,  had  they  been 
known  to  the  old  master,  would  have  been  rewarded 
with  instant  dismissal.  Mr.  Hazell  was  curiously  per- 
emptory in  his  punishment  of  drunkenness.  On  the 


MADELINE  RA  YNE.  93 

bench  lie  was  known  as  'the  hard  justice,'  and  the 
Monday  morning  delinquents  at  the  Police  Court  knew 
what  to  expect  when  their  fate  rested  with  him.  He 
Gned  heavily  and  gave  the  longest  imprisonments  in  his 
power  to  the  drunks  and  disorderlies  who  were  locked 
up  from  Saturday  night.  Eobert  Hazell  had  seen  the 
practical  wrecking  of  more  than  one  steady  and  fine 
character  among  the  men,  and  more  than  once  he  had 
remonstrated  with  his  father  about  the  taproom  at  the 
brewery,  urging  him  to  shut  it  up.  But  Mr.  Hazell 
had  pooh-poohed  his  objections,  and  had  instanced  the 
three  large  firms  who  had  acted  on  the  same  principle. 
Mr.  Hazell  prided  himself  upon  a  certain  open-handed, 
generous  way  with  his  employees ;  he  was  indeed  a 
man  of  many  sides,  and  full  of  strange  contradictions. 

Herbert  was  not  behaving  any  better.  Night  after 
night  he  was  out  past  the  hours,  morning  after  morn- 
ing he  was  late  at  the  breakfast-table ;  and  the  frown 
was  seldom  absent  from  his  father's  brow.  Altogether, 
these  thoughts  were  rather  troubling  Mary  Hazell.  Her 
ambitious  hopes  of  doing  good  and  living  a  useful  and 
noble  life  seemed  to  be  nipped  in  the  bud.  So  she 
thought,  not  knowing  that  but  for  her  the  family  life  at 
Hazelwood  would  have  been  a  miserable  thing.  She 
was  sweet  and  wholesome  and  earnest-hearted,  the  only 
sunshine,  as  Eobert  put  it,  in  the  house. 

The  train  was  a  little  late,  and  the  ponies  were  very 
restive  when  it  came  puffing  into  the  station.  Mary 
eagerly  scanned  the  carriage  windows,  and  at  length 
caught  sight  of  the  face  she  loved  looking  out  of  a  third- 
class  compartment.  She  was  astonished  at  first,  having 


94  HAZELL  &  SONS, 

forgotten  that  Madeline  Kayne  was  a  young  woman 
of  extremely  limited  means. 

'  Oh,  Lena  Rayne !  I  never,  never  was  so  glad  to  set- 
any  one  as  I  am  to  see  you  at  this  moment,  my  blessed 
girl!' 

Such  was  Mary's  greeting,  which  fell  warm  and  sweet 
on  the  ears  and  heart  of  Madeline  Rayne.  She  was  a 
desolate  woman,  without  kith  or  kin  in  the  world,  and 
she  loved  Mary  Hazell  with  a  great  love.  Her  face  was 
transfigured  by  it,  as  she  stood  a  moment  in  silence,  her 
large,  serious  eyes  suffused  with  tears. 

'Just  the  same,'  she  whispered  under  her  breath, 
after  that  one  yearning,  lingering  look. 

'  Of  course.  What  did  you  expect  ? '  said  Mary  gaily; 
for  a  sense  of  rest  and  freedom  from  care  stole  upon  her 
in  the  presence  of  her  friend.  '  Come.  I  know  my 
animals  will  be  frightening  Jimmy  Tompkins  out  of  his 
wits.  Have  you  any  luggage  ? ' 

'  A  little,'  said  Madeline,  with  a  smile.  '  I  am  here 
with  everything  I  have  in  the  world — a  waif  and  a 
stray,  Mary,  but  for  you.' 

'  I'm  glad  you  had  the  grace  to  add  that/  said  Mary 
grimly.  '  Here,  Tompkins,'  she  added  to  a  porter 
passing  at  the  moment,  '  send  up  my  friend's  luggage  to 
Hazelwood — at  once,  please,  will  you  ?  We  can't  take 
it  in  the  phaeton.' 

'  Very  well,  Miss  Hazell ;  the  van's  just  ready,'  said 
the  man,  with  a  touch  to  his  cap.  Every  one  served 
Miss  Hazell  readily.  Her  smile  was  worth  a  great  jleal 
to  some  in  Medlington. 

'  Are  you  ready  now,  Lena  ?     .Nothing  left  in   the 


MADELINE  RA  YNE.  95 

<9uria<je  ?  Come,  then,  and  let  me  look  at  you.  I  am 
not  quite  satisfied  about  you.  What  is  the  meaning  of 
all  this  turn-up  ?  I  thought  you  were  a  fixture  at 
Madame's.  Ah !  here's  poor  little  Jimmy,  nearly 
shaken  to  pieces  with  these  tossing  heads.  Aren't  they 
pretty  creatures,  Lena  ?  They  are  mamma's  and  mine  ; 
hot  mamma  never  drives  them.'  . 

'Yes,  they  are  pretty.  So  this  is  Medlington, 
Mary  ? ' 

'  It  will  be  presently.  Here,  Jimmy,  my  boy,  spend 
it  judiciously,'  said  Miss  Hazell,  with  a  laugh,  as  she 
gave  the  boy  a  silver  coin.  '  Come  now,  my  beauties, 
off  you  go ! ' 

Off  they  went  then  at  a  brisk  trot,  while  Mary 
turned  once  more  to  look  at  her  friend. 

'  You  look  pale,  and  old,  and  generally  depressed, 
Lena.  Tell  me  about  it  all,  in  case  we  don't  have  a 
chance  before  bed-time  at  least.' 

'There  is  not  much  to  tell,  Mary,'  said  Madeline 
Eayne,  and  a  slow  colour  rose  in  her  cheek.  '  Paul 
Gebhardt  wanted  to  marry  me,  and  Madame  his  mother 
naturally  felt  aggrieved.  She  was  not  kind  to  me, 
Mary.  Was  I  not  blameless  where  Paul  Gebhardt  was 
concerned  ? ' 

'  Did  the  old  creature  hint  that  you  encouraged  him  ? 
Don't  you  remember  the  caricatures  you  used  to  make 
of  him  in  his  velvet  coat  and  long  hair  ?  So  you  did 
not  aspire  to  be  a  poet's  wife,  Lena  ? ' 

'  No,  I  did  not.     That  is  a  pretty  view,  Mary.' 

They  were  descending  the  slope  from  the  station,  and 
yvere  in  full  view  of  the  valley  where  the  town  stood  on 


96  HAZRLL  6r-  SONS. 

the  banks  of  the  river,  which  wound,  not  ungracefully, 
for  many  miles. 

'  Yes  ;  it  is  rather  pretty.  The  Med  looks  well 
from  a  distance,  but  it  is  frightfully  unsanitary.  It  is 
so  polluted  with  chemicals  from  the  works  that  no 
living  thing  is  found  in  it.  That  is  the  brewery,  Lena, 
where  the  big  chimney  stalks  and  the  two  little  ones 
stand  in  a  line.' 

'  It  is  an  immense  place,  surely,  like  a  colony  of 
houses  ? ' 

'Yes;  it  is  big  enough,  certainly/  said  Mary,  with 
a  sigh. 

'  And  where  is  Hazelwood  ? ' 

'  Oh,  a  long  way  over  the  bridge  and  up  the  river 
bank,  and  away  from  the  smoke  and  the  smells.  Can 
you  see  the  row  of  brick  houses  now,  beyond  the 
brewery  wall  ?  That  is  my  mission  field.' 

'  Indeed  1     The  houses  lie  very  low,  do  they  not  ? ' 

'  Yes  ;  far  too  low.  Medlington  is  not  pretty,  Lena, 
nor  very  salubrious,  but  Hazelwood  is  lovely,  and  there 
is  a  moor  not  far  from  us  which  you  and  I  will  explore 
thoroughly.  I  believe  there  are  some  rare  flora  among 
the  little  hillocks.  We  are  going  to  have  a  splendid 
time,  now  you  have  come.' 

'  Are  we  ? ' 

A  slight,  sad  smile  touched  for  a  moment  the  lips  of 
Madeline  Rayne. 

'  Yes,  of  course  we  are.  The  boys  are  quite  excited 
over  your  coming.  Not  many  young  ladies  visit  us. 
I  am  afraid  I  am  not  a  very  lovable  person,  Lena ;  I 
have  so  few  girl  friends.' 


MADELINE  RA  YNE.  97 

'  Is  your  mamma  keeping  better  ? ' 

'  No.  Mamma  is  not  strong,  and  papa  is  often 
cross,  and  Robert  melancholy,  and  Herbert  naughty. 
As  for  me,  I  am  constantly  in  hot  water  about  some- 
thing. Do  you  enjoy  the  prospect  of  dwelling  indefi- 
nitely in  such  a  charming  household  ? ' 

'  I  shall  reserve  my  opinion,  Mary,'  was  Madeline 
Eayne's  answer.  '  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  about  your 
brother  Herbert.' 

'  Oh  yes  ;  it  is  dreadful.  He  is  never  in  the  house, 
Lena.  Night  after  night  he  is  away  at  a  horrid 
gambling  club,  and  our  maid  told  me  one  day  that  he 
visits  constantly  at  the  house  of  the  man  who  keeps  it. 
I  shall  show  you  the  house  ;  we  pass  it  presently.  But 
I  don't  believe  that.  You  must  take  him  in  hand, 
Lena.  Then  Eobert,  you  know,  wants  to  marry  Lucy 
Meredith, — a  dear  girl, — but  papa  doesn't  like  them 
because  they  are  such  temperance  people.  I  don't 
think  he  is  quite  just  to  Robert,  and  I  see  he  feels  it  a 
good  deal.  Oh  dear,  oh  dear  !  I  do  believe  these  old 
days  at  Bonn  were  the  very  happiest  any  girl  could 
have.  It  is  such  a  grieving  thing  to  be  grown  up,  and 
to  want  to  do  a  great  many  things  one  can't  get  doing. 
May  I  tell  you,  Lena  ?  As  long  as  the  brewery 
flourishes,  I  may  stop  my  mission  work.  I  see  that 
very  plainly,  and  it  is  a  great  grief  to  ma' 

1  We  shall  talk  all  this  over  by  and  by,  Mary,'  said 
Madeline  Rayne  soberly.  '  You  are  sure  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hazell  will  be  glad  to  see  me  ? ' 

'  Yes.  I  am  an  honest  person,  Lena.  I  wouldn't 
bring  you  here  under  false  pretences.  You  will  be 


98  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

welcomed,  I  assure  you.  See,  Lena,  there  is  Mileswood, 
just  over  the  bridge,  see, — where  they  say  Herbert  spends 
his  evenings.' 

'  I  see  a  girl's  face  at  the  window ;  is  she  the 
attraction  ? ' 

'  Oh  no !  I  believe  there  is  a  daughter,  but  of 
course  Herbert  would  never  think  of  her.  He  doesn't 
go  in  for  that  kind  of  folly,  Lena.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  private  gambling  in  that  house,  I  believe.' 

As  the  phaeton  swept  past  the  gate  of  Mileswood, 
Lena  Rayne  took  a  long  look  at  the  house,  and  at  the 
face  ac  the  window.  She  felt  curiously  interested  in 
the  latter,  she  could  not  tell  why. 

'  The  young  lady  is  looking  very  curiously  at  you, 
Mary.' 

*  Oh,  I  daresay.  She  is  always  at  the  window 
watching  me.  She  irritates  me,  I  don't  know  why. 
The  poor  mother  must  do  all  the  work,  for  they  keep 
no  servant,  and  that  girl  is  always  at  the  window 
dressed  up  with  a  curled  fringe.' 

'  Mary,  you  are  very  bitter/  said  Madeline,  with  a 
smile  of  amusement. 

Mary  coloured  a  little. 

'  I  feel  that  I  am  saying  horrid  things.  I  don't  know 
what  makes  me  do  it.  I  am  sadly  in  need  of  you  to 
put  me  right,  Lena.  Well,  here  are  our  gates.  Isn't 
it  a  pretty  avenue  ?  I  love  those  fine  old  trees.  If 
only  you  had  been  a  fortnight  earlier  you  would  have 
seen  them  in  their  glory.' 

'  Yes,  they  are  fine  old  trees.  You  have  a  beautiful 
home,  Mary/ 


MADELINE  RA  YNE.  99 

'Yes;  and  yet  we  seem  to  be  a  miserable,  discon- 
tented kind  of  family,'  said  Mary,  and  she  dashed  away 
a  sudden  tear. 

There  was  no  more  said  until  the  phaeton  drew 
up  at  the  handsome  doorway,  then  Mary  turned  to 
her  friend,  and  laid  an  affectionate  hand  on  her 
shoulder. 

'  You  are  welcome  to  Hazel  wood,  dear  Lena,'  she  said  ; 
then  they  alighted,  and  ran  up  the  steps  to  the  house. 

'  Has  the  luggage  come,  Kitty  ? '  Miss  Hazell  asked, 
as  the  maid  came  forward  to  take  the  wraps. 

'  Yes,  Miss  Mary ;  it  was  taken  up  to  the  blue  room.' 

'  Ah,  that  is  all  right.  There  is  a  fire,  1  hope,  in 
Miss  Rayne's  dressing-room.' 

'  Yes,  Miss  Mary.  Mrs.  Hazell  gave  the  order  in  the 
morning.' 

'  Come  then,  Lena.     Is  papa  home,  Kitty  ? ' 

'  Yes,  Miss  Mary,  the  gentlemen  are  all  home.' 

At  that  moment  the  library  door  opened  and  Mr. 
Hazell  appeared. 

'  Oh,  papa,  here  is  Lena,'  Mary  said ;  and  Mr.  Hazell 
came  forward  with  a  cordial  smile. 

'  How  do  you  do,  Miss  Rayne  ?  I  am  glad  to  see 
you.  This  foolish  girl  of  mine  will  surely  be  satisfied 
now,'  he  said  kindly,  as  he  shook  hands  with  the  shy, 
insignificant-looking  stranger. 

'  Thank  you,  Mr.  Hazell,'  Madeline  Rayne  answered, 
feeling  as  if  an  ordeal  were  over. 

'  After  you  have  taken  Miss  Rayne  to  her  room,  come 
to  the  library  a  moment,  Mary,  before  you  dress,'  Mr. 
Hazell  said. 


ioo  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

Mary  nodded,  and,  taking  her  friend  by  the  arm,  led 
her  up-stairs. 

'  Just  let  us  peep  in  on  mamma.  I  think  she  will 
be  down  in  the  drawing-room  to-night  for  a  little,  but 
not  at  dinner.  After  you  have  seen  her,  you'll  surely 
feel  at  ease.  I'm  sure  there  is  nothing  very  terrible 
about  papa,  is  there  ? ' 

Madeline  Rayne  smiled.  She  was  certainly  feeling 
more  at  ease.  Mrs.  Hazell's  rooms  adjoined  the  drawing- 
room.  In  answer  to  Mary's  light  tap  her  sweet  voice 
bade  them  come  in. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  soft  grey  shining  silk,  with  a 
profusion  of  lace  at  the  neck,  which  somehow  gave  her 
a  singularly  frail  look.  But  there  was  no  mistaking 
the  kindness  and  sincerity  of  her  welcome. 

'  Come  here,  my  dear,  and  let  me  kiss  you.  You 
have  come  a  long  way  to  see  us.  I  hope  you  will  like 
us,  and  feel  at  home  at  Hazel  wood.' 

'  1  am  sure  I  shall,  thank  you.'  Madeline  Rayne's 
eyes  were  full  of  tears  as  she  responded  to  these  kind 
words. 

'  You  have  not  many  minutes  to  dress — it  is  twenty 
minutes  past  five  already,'  Mrs.  Hazell  said.  '  Mary,  I 
think  Lena's  r  oms  will  be  comfortable.  You  will  look 
after  her,  I  know.  Without  Mary,  Miss  Eayne,  this 
house  would  be  in  a  sad  way.' 

Mary  laughed,  and  danced  out  of  the  room.  The 
evening  had  opened  pleasantly.  She  felt  in  the  best  of 
spirits.  She  took  her  friend  to  her  rooms,  and  then  ran 
down  to  the  library  to  see  what  her  father  wanted  with 
her.  Mr.  Hazell  did  not  dress  for  home  dinner  as  a 


'  You  are  not  going  to  sit  down  to  dinner  in  that  frock,  are  you  ?  '—Page  101. 


MADELINE  RAYNE.  101 

rule.  He  wore,  however,  a  black  velvet  coat,  which 
was  very  becoming.  He  was  pretty  vain  of  his  hand- 
some figure  and  face  still.  Neither  of  his  sons  could 
compare  with  him. 

'  Well,  your  friend  must  be  better  than  she  is  bonuie, 
Mary,'  he  said,  with  a  slight  laugh.  '  But,  if  you  are 
pleased,  we  must  not  say  a  word.  What  are  you  going 
to  put  on  to-night  ? ' 

'  How  do  you  mean,  papa  ? '  asked  Mary  in  some 
bewilderment.  It  was  so  unusual  in  her  father  to  take 
any  interest  in  her  attire. 

'  You  are  not  going  to  sit  down  to  dinner  in  that 
frock,  are  you  ? ' 

'  Well,  no,  as  Lena  is  here,  though  I  have  often  worn 
it  at  dinner  here,  and  you  never  noticed  that  I  had 
it  on.' 

'  Oh,  well,  put  on  something  finer.  I  asked  Ford  to 
drop  in  and  dine  this  evening,  and  we  must  not  make 
him  feel  as  if  we  had  no  respect  for  his  company 
because  he  is  my  servant.' 

'Ford!' 

Mary  was  mystified  for  a  moment.  She  had  only 
once  seen  the  man,  and  could  not  recollect  him. 

'  Oh,  Mr.  Ford,  your  manager,  papa.  Asked  him  to 
dine!  Why?' 

'  I  can  ask  him  if  I  like,  I  suppose,'  said  Mr.  Hazell, 
a  trifle  irritably.  '  He  is  a  fine  fellow,  invaluable  lo 
me,  and  quite  a  gentleman.  I  beg  you  will  not  turn 
up  your  nose  at  him.' 

'  I  should  never  be  rude  to  any  guest  at  iny 
father's  table,  papa,'  Mary  said  quickly,  and  her 


104  HAZELL  &  SOMS. 

colour   rose.     She  could    not    understand    her   fathers 
strange  irritability. 

'  Well,  well,  see  that  you  are  kind  to  him,  that's  all. 
We  ought  to  be,  because  he  has  no  friends  here,  and  it 
is  to  his  credit  that  he  is  so  steady.  I  only  wish 
Herbert  would  take  example  by  him/ 

'  Very  well,  papa.     May  I  go  now  ?     I  have  only 
about  ten  minutes  to  change  my  dress.' 
Yes,  you  may  go.' 

Mary  went  up-stairs  in  a  very  perplexed  state  of  mind. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CHUMS. 

jjR.  FORD  was  not  very  punctual.  They  had 
all  been  waiting  in  the  drawing-room  for 
about  ten  minutes,  when  he  was  announced. 
He  was  in  full  evening  dress,  very  new  and 
very  shiny,  but  did  not  look  quite  at  ease  in  his  attira 
Robert  and  Mary  received  him  kindly,  Herbert  coolly, 
with  rather  an  off-hand  nod.  He  did  not  approve  of 
meeting  Mr.  Ford  in  his  father's  drawing-room  an 
invited  guest. 

Mr.  Hazell,  of  course,  took  down  Miss  Rayne,  Mr. 
Ford  the  daughter  of  the  house,  the  two  young  men 
following  behind.  Herbert  made  several  grimaces  behind 
Mr.  Ford's  back.  Mary  felt,  though  she  could  not  see 
them,  and  shook  with  inward  laughter.  The  effort  to 
keep  her  face  straight  gave  it  a  sewre  and  even  stern 
look  rather  discouraging  to  Mr.  Ford.  Of  course  he 
could  not  see  her  dancing  eyes,  as  she  kept  her  lashes 
down. 

At  the  table  Lena  sat  between  Mr.  Hazell  and  Robert. 
The  latter  had  admired  Miss  Rayne  the  moment  his  eyes 

10* 


io<  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

fell  upon  her.  When  she  spoke  her  face  lighted  up  and 
changed  entirely.  Her  attire  was  quiet  and  plain,  but 
it  seemed  to  suit  her,  and  her  every  movement  was  full 
of  grace. 

Mary  tried  honestly  to  be  agreeable  to  Mr.  Ford,  but 
her  consciousness  of  his  undisguised  admiration  for  her- 
self made  her  most  uncomfortable.  Her  face  was 
unnaturally  flushed  all  the  time  the  dinner  lasted. 
She  certainly  looked  lovely.  Her  dress  was  grey  too, 
a  soft  shimmering  material  open  at  the  neck,  and  reveal- 
ing the  fine  contour  of  her  full  white  throat.  Mr.  Ford 
looked  at  her  a  great  /leal,  and  addressed  all  his  remarks 
to  her.  He  was  very  talkative,  and  not  in  the  least 
abashed.  Herbert  appeared  to  be  in  private  con- 
vulsions. Mary  saw  his  lips  twitching  more  than 
once,  and  her  own  composure  was  put  to  a  severe 
strain.  Several  times  Mr.  Hazell  frowned  at  his 
younger  son,  and  his  polite  attentions  to  his  manager 
were  very  marked. 

Mary,  however,  was  glad  when  dessert  was  over,  and 
she  could  rise. 

Lena  and  she  went  up  to  the  drawing-room  together 
with  their  arms  about  each  other's  waists,  an  old  school- 
girl fashion  which  neither  had  outgrown. 

'  It  is  so  lovely  to  have  you  here,'  said  Mary,  with 
unmistakable  satisfaction.  '  They  all  like  you.  Isn't 
Robert  good  and  nice,  and  poor  Bertie,  too,  if  only  he 
were  a  better  boy.' 

'  I  like  both  your  brothers,  Mary ;  but  who  is  Mr. 
Ford?' 

Mary's  face  flushed. 


CHUMS.  105 

'  The  manager  at  the  brewery,  Lena,  He  has  never 
been  here  before.  An  insufferable  man !  I  wonder  why 
papa  asked  him.' 

Mrs.  Hazell  had  not  yet  entered  the  drawing-room. 
The  lamps  were  not  lighted,  but  a  splendid  fire  made  a 
cheerful  ruddy  glow  all  over  the  pretty  room.  The  girls 
drew  near  it,  and  sat  down  together  on  the  lounge,  which 
had  been  placed  in  readiness  for  Mrs.  Hazell.  Just  at 
that  moment  there  was  a  quick  step  on  the  stair,  and 
Herbert  came  into  the  room. 

'  Interrupting  the  confidential,  eh?'  he  said  pleasantly. 
'  Can't  help  it,  Molly.  If  I'd  stayed  a  moment  longer 
I'd  have  done  something  dreadful.  To  see  that  little 
ape  sipping  champagne  and  holding  forth  is  more  than 
I'm  able  for.  It  doesn't  do  to  introduce  one's  work- 
people into  one's  house  in  spite  of  the  levelling  doctrine 
of  the  Socialists,  eh,  Mk>s  Rayne  ? ' 

'  Mr.  Ford  seems  to  be  very  well  informed,'  Lena  said, 
looking  up  at  the  handsome,  boyish  face  with  a  smile. 
There  was  something  very  winning  in  that  sudden  smile, 
it  seemed  to  transform  her  whole  fnce. 

'  Mr.  Ford  is  a  well-informed  but  very  cheeky  fellow 
was  the  disrespectful  rejoinder.  '  I  beg  your  pardon, 
Miss  Rayne,  but  you  know  we  know  you  so  jolly  well 
we  can't  stand  on  p's  and  qX  and  I  don't  believe  you'd 
like.it — there!' 

'  No,  she  wouldn't,'  laughed  Mary.  '  Well,  I  suppose 
I  may  leave  you  two  without  fear  that  you  Mill  fall 
out  until  I  see  whether  mamma  has  had  her  dinner.' 

So  saying,  she  left  the  room,  and  the  two  were 
alone. 


io6  HAZELL  <2r»  SONS. 

'  You  must  be  frightfully  tired,  Miss  Eayne.  How 
far  have  you  travelled  to-day  ? ' 

'  Only  from  Harwich.  The  boat  got  in  this  morning, 
^jfe  had  a  stormy  passage  ;  it  blew  a  gale  in  the  night ; 
but  I  am  not  very  tired.' 

'  I  hope  you'll  stay  a  jolly  long  time  then,  though  we 
aren't  a  very  lively  household.  Molly,  of  course,  is  an  angel, 
but  the  rest  of  us  don't  amount  to  much,  especially  me.' 

'  What  is  especially  disagreeable  about  you  ? ' 

'  I'm  a  weed,  if  you  know  the  meaning  of  that  light 
and  elegant  phrase.  I  am  of  no  use  to  anybody  under 
the  sun.' 

'  And  whose  blame  is  that  ?  * 

'  Oh,  mine,  of  course.  I  say,  Miss  Eayne,  aren't  you 
awfully  good  and  religious  ?  When  you  have  been  here 
about  a  week  you  won't  speak  to  me.  I  quite  expect 
it.' 

'  Tell  me  why.' 

'  Oh,  I  don't  behave  myself.  I  stay  out  nights,  and 
play  billiards  and  baccarat.  I  know  it's  wicked,  and 
that  I'm  a  fool.  The  money  I've  lost  at  that  Gregory's, 
Miss  Eayne,  makes  me  pale  with  iinavailing  regret,  as 
the  song  says.  I  only  wish  I  had  the  third  of  it  now.' 

Madeline  Eayne  leaned  back  in  her  chair,  and  lightly 
folded  her  hands  in  her  lap.  They  were  beautiful  hands, 
soft,  white,  and  gentle,  and  they  had  the  touch  of  a 
ministering  angel.  There  was  no  smile  on  her  face 
when  she  looked  at  Herbert  Hazell. 

'  I  gather  from  the  way  you  speak  that  you  are  rather 
proud  of  your  reputation  as  a  weed.  Shall  we  change 
the  subject  ? ' 


CHUMS.  107 

Herbert  Hazell  felt  her  sarcasm,  and  yet  it  attracted 
him.  No  young  lady  had  ever  spoken  to  him  in  that 
way.  He  was  accustomed  to  be  flattered  and  made-of 
by  the  few  he  knew. 

'  By  Jove,  you  can  hit  a  fellow  hard,  Miss  Eayne!'  he 
said,  with  a  slight  flush.  '  Did  I  appear  to  brag  ?  I 
didn't  mean  to.  Look  here,  do  you  know  I'm  sick  of 
everything!' 

He  threw  himself  into  a  chair,  but  immediately  leaned 
forward  and  fixed  his  eyes  full  on  the  grave,  serious  face 
of  the  woman  before  him.  He  did  not  know  how  it  was, 
but  he  felt  a  curious  nearness  to  her,  a  dependence  upon 
her,  which  made  him  marvel  If  any  woman  could  help 
him  in  the  better  way  it  would  be  Madeline  Eayue. 
Mary  was  anxious  and  willing,  but  too  pliable ;  the  least 
sign  of  penitence  caused  her  sternness  to  melt  away  in 
a  moment  But  Madeline  Eayne  was  made  of  different 
stuff. 

'  Tell  me  what  you  mean  ? '  she  said  quietly.  She 
felt  intensely  interested  in  this  young  man,  and  did  not 
even  feel  astonished  at  the  readiness  with  which  he 
confided  in  her. 

'  Well,  to  begin  with,  I'm  going  to  tell  you  everything, 
Miss  Eayne,  though,  of  course,  Molly  has  told  you  a  lot. 
Girls  always  do  tell  each  other  everything,  don't  they  ? 
I'm  miserable  at  the  brewery.  The  governor  and  I 
don't  agree,  and  I  hate  the  work.  I'm  just  a  common 
clerk,  and  Bob  is  not  much  better,  though  he  doesn't 
sit  on  a  stool.  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,  Miss  Eayne,  it's 
Ford  that's  the  boss  of  the  concern,  and  his  presence 
here  to-night  is  evidence  of  the  fact' 


io8  HAZELL  6r»  SONS. 

Madeline  Rayne  was  silent.  She  had  certainly  not 
been  favourably  impressed  with  Michael  Ford,  but  she 
did  not  care  to  say  so. 

'  If  a  fellow  felt  himself  getting  on,  or  had  any  interest 
in  his  business,'  continued  Herbert,  still  bitterly,  '  he 
wouldn't  care  to  go  out  seeking  enjoyment  at  nights. 
But  it  makes  a  fellow  forget.  I  really  don't  know  what 
the  governor's  thinking  of.  It's  my  opinion,'  he  added, 
lowering  his  voice,  '  that  Ford's  got  him  under  his 
thumb.' 

Madeline  Eayne  sat  up,  and  lifted  her  hand  with  a 
slightly  deprecating  gesture. 

'  You  are  forgetting,  I  think,  how  utter  a  stranger  I  am 
to  you.  Perhaps  it  is  not  right  that  I  should  hear  all  this.' 

'  Oh,  bother  !  it's  quite  right.  You're  Molly's  chum, 
and  I  know  jolly  well  you  know  when  to  hold  your 
tongue.  Besides,  do  you  think  all  Medlington  doesn't 
know  how  the  land  lies  ?  Just  you  watch  Bob,  how 
worried  he  looks.  There'll  be  a  regular  rumpus  soon, 
you'll  see.  Bob  doesn't  rouse  easily,  but  he's  just  about 
as  sick  of  Ford  as  I  am.' 

'  But,  to  go  back  to  where  we  were,'  said  Lena 
gently.  'Allowing  that  you  have  a  good  deal  to  try 
you,  is  it  a  manly  thing  to  allow  these  worries  to 
master  you  ?  Don't  you  think  you  could  keep  your 
self-respect  through  them  all  ?  Were  I  you,  I  would 
find  a  joy  in  surmounting  all  these  difficulties  nobly. 
Duty,  well  done,  always  brings  its  reward.' 

'  I  know  you  are  right,'  said  Herbert,  humbly  as  a 
rebuked  schoolboy.  '  Sometimes  I  do  try  jolly  hard 
to  improve,  but  things  are  too  many  for  me.' 


CHUMS.  109 

'Don't  say  so.  A  temptation  once  overcome  can 
never  have  the  same  influences  again,'  said  Lena, 
with  earnest,  shining  eyes.  '  Have  you  never  proved 
that  ? ' 

'  Oh,  well,  I  don't  know.  You  see  I'm  not  good  at 
withstanding  temptations.  But  I'd  like  to  try.  I'd 
like  to  keep  a  straight  course,  just  to  watch  that  Ford, 
and  get  the  better  of  him.  I  know  he's  plotting 
mischief,  and  he  has  too  much  influence  with  the 
governor.  He'll  do  for  Ford  in  a  moment  what  he 
won't  listen  to  from  Bob  or  me.  It  is  not  fair  to  a 
man's  sons,  is  it,  now  ? ' 

'  But,  leaving  Mr.  Ford  out  of  the  question  entirely, 
won't  you  keep  the  straight  course  for  your  own  sake, 
and  for  the  sake  of  those  who  love  you  ?  I  should  like 
you  to  be  a  man  for  your  own  sake.' 

'  Would  you  care  ? ' 

A  curious,  even  half-wistful  look  was  in  the  lad's 
eyes  as  he  asked  the  question.  The  colour  rose  slightly 
in  the  cheek  of  Madeline  Rayne. 

'  Yes,  of  course  I  should  care.  If  I  am  Mary's 
"  chum,"  I  suppose  I  may  be  yours  too  ? ' 

'  All  right ;  we're  chums.  Shake  hands  upon  it. 
I'm  jolly  glad  you've  come,'  said  Herbert,  quite  joyously. 
Then  they  shook  hands,  and  Mary,  entering  at  the 
moment,  caught  them  in  the  act. 

'We've  been  falling  out,  and  agreeing  again,'  said 
Herbert,  with  a  Lugh,  but  Mary  guessed  that  some- 
thing serious  underlay  his  banter. 

Madeline  rose  to  make  way  for  Mrs.  Hazell,  who 
had  followed  Mary  into  the  room.  The  servant  entered 


no  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

to  light  the  lamps ;  the  steps  of  the  gentlemen  on  the 
stairs  announced  that  their  talk  over  the  fruits  and  sweet- 
meats was  over. 

'Now,  you  young  ladies  must  entertain  us  with 
music  and  song,'  said  Mr.  Hrzell  jocularly,  as  he  threw 
himself  into  a  chair.  His  voice  was  a  little  thick,  his 
eyes  rather  hazy — evidently  he  had  imbibed  too  freely 
at  the  table. 

Mary,  perhaps  to  escape  from  the  persistent  gaze  of 
Mr.  Ford,  went  at  once  to  the  piano,  and  began  to  sing. 
She  had  a  clear,  well-trained  voice,  and  sang  without 
affectation  or  effort.  Mr.  Ford  stood  by  the  side  of  the 
piano  looking  down  at  her,  but  Mary  appeared  to  be 
entirely  engrossed  by  her  music.  In  reality  she  was 
highly  indignant. 

'  May  I  thank  you  for  a  rare  treat,  Miss  Hazell  ? '  he 
said  impressively  when  her  song  ended. 

'Oh,  it  is  no  treat,'  she  answered  flippantly,  and 
turned  quickly  aside.  '  Mr.  Ford,  we  must  have  a 
song  from  you.  I  hear  you  are  quite  a  star.' 

'  I  sing  a  little  for  my  own  amusement,'  said  Mr. 
Ford  modestly.  '  If  I  find  something  here,  will  you 
honour  me  by  playing  my  accompaniment  ? ' 

'  Oh,  I  am  not  a  good  musician.  Miss  Eayne  will 
help  you.  Won't  you,  Lena  ? ' 

'  Certainly.' 

Madeline  Rayne,  understanding  the  appeal,  came  at 
once  to  the  rescue.  Mr.  Ford  endeavoured  to  hide  his 
chagrin,  and  sang  'The  Anchor's  Weighed'  with  con- 
siderable effect.  Then  Madeline,  remaining  at  the 
piano,  began  to  play  with  her  own  exquisite  touch  some 


CHUMS.  in 

of  the  'Songs  without  Words,'  the  very  spirit  of  which 
she  had  caught  on  the  banks  of  the  enchanted  Ehine. 
Mary  sat  close  by  Mrs.  Hazell's  couch,  both  ladies 
enjoying  the  beautiful  melody.  Mr.  Hazell  fell  asleep. 
Mr.  Ford  fidgeted  a  little  in  his  seat,  not  appreciating 
the  music,  but  finding  his  efforts  at  conversation  not 
encouraged.  Herbert  seemed  entranced,  and  sat  with 
his  eyes  fixed  on  the  player's  face.  She  had  forgotten 
them  all ;  her  face  wore  a  dreamy,  far-off  expression, 
and  her  eyes  seemed  over-running  with  tears.  Robert 
walked  slowly  to  and  fro  the  drawing-room,  with  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  floor.  He  was  restless  and  ill  at 
ease,  being,  indeed,  careful  and  troubled  about  many 
things. 

'  I  am  afraid  I  have  forgotten  myself,'  Lena  said, 
presently  jumping  up.  '  It  is  so  long  since  my  fingers 
touched  such  keys  as  these.  Do  you  remember  our 
dilapidated  pianos  at  Bonn,  Mary  ? ' 

'  Don't  1 1  Well,  what  are  we  to  do  now  ?  Papa  is 
sound  asleep.  Shall  we  have  a  hand  at  draughts?  You 
are  not  going  out,  Robert  ? ' 

'  Yes,  dear,  I  promised  to  be  at  Clieveden  to-night, 
Mr.  Ford  will  excuse  me,  as  I  did  not  know  he  was  to 
be  here  to-night.  Miss  Rayne,  I  suppose,  is  one  of  the 
family,  and  needs  no  apology.'  He  smiled  as  he  turned 
to  Madeline,  who  looked  pleased  at  his  words. 

'  It  is  kind  of  you  to  say  so.  I  am  indeed  at  home,' 
she  said,  and,  passing  to  Mrs.  Hazell's  couch,  sat  down 
there  with  a  look  of  quiet  content.  They  had  indeed 
all  given  her  the  truest  of  welcomes  to  Hazelwood. 

Robert  left  almost  immediately,  and  without  awaking 

8 


ii2  HAZELL  &•  SOXS. 

his  father,  then  the  couples  sat  down  to  their  game. 
Herbert  did  not  care  particularly  for  the  game,  but  with 
Madeline  Rayne  opposite  him  it  was  a  very  different 
matter.  There  was  somebody  waiting  at  the  Grove  for 
him  at  that  moment,  but  for  the  first  time  in  their 
acquaintance  Jane  Gregory  waited  in  vain. 

'  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  us  all,  Lena  ? '  asked 
Mary,  when  the  two  girls  were  together  in  Lena's 
dressing-room  that  night. 

'  What  can  I  say  but  that  I  like  you  all  very  much,' 
said  Madeline,  with  a  laugh.  '  You  ask  very  direct 
questions,  Mary.' 

'  Oh,  so  do  you,  my  girl,'  said  Mary  quickly.  '  If  I 
have  the  habit  of  calling  a  spade  a  spade,  I  have  learned 
it  from  you.  Now,  I  want  to  know  what  you  and  Bert 
were  talking  about  just  after  dinner.  Do  you  know  this 
is  the  first  evening  he  has  spent  at  home  for  weeks. 
And  he  was  perfectly  amazed  when  eleven  o'clock 
struck.  If  you  work  a  reformation  in  that  boy,  Lena 
Rayne,  you  shall  be  my  patron  saint  for  evermore.' 

'  He  is  only  easily  led,  Mary;  there  is  no  evil  in  him. 
And  he  loves  music.  I  can  never  think  that  one  with 
a  soul  for  music  can  sink  very  low.  Of  the  two  I  am 
not  sure  that  I  don't  like  Herbert  best.' 

The  time  came,  and  that  very  soon,  when  Madeline 
Rayne  could  not  deliver  such  a  candid  opinion  on  the 
brothers. 

'  Oh,  so  do  I.  Bertie  is  so  funny  a,nd  winning. 
Robert,  of  course,  is  good  and  steady,  and  just  the  man 
to  help  in  any  trouble.  But  he  is  a  little  distant — even 
Lucy,  who  is  to  be  his  wife,  says  that.  Lena,  I  am 


CHUMS.  113 

afraid  I  shall  have  some  trouble  with  that  Ford,  as 
Bert  calls  him.' 

'  I  am  afraid  of  it  He  certainly  admires  you  very 
much.' 

'  Horrid  little  man !  He  is  so  self-satisfied  and 
complacent.  I  should  like  to  behave  dreadfully  to  him 
if  I  dared.  Lena,  it  is  not  nice  to  be  grown  up.  Do 
you  think  it  is  ? ' 

'Yes,  I  do.  I  am  very  happy  to-night,  Mary  ; 
happier  than  ever  I  thought  I  should  be  again.' 

'  Then  you  love  us  ?  You  shall  never  leave  us 
again,  my  Lena.  You  have  a  work  here  to  do.' 

It  was  a  word  spoken  in  jest,  but  it  became  earnest 
in  days  to  couie. 


CHAPTER  XL 


IN   THE    LIBRARY. 

E.  HAZELL  was  sitting  in  the  library  dozing 
over  his  evening  paper.  The  sound  of  the 
music  from  the  drawing-room,  perhaps,  had 
a  soothing  effect  on  him,  and  yet  his  face 
was  very  flushed,  and  his  breathing  heaviei  than  it  need 
have  been.  Dinner  was  not  long  over,  the  ladies  were 
up-stairs.  The  touch  on  the  piano  was  Madeline's  touch  ; 
even  Mary  could  not  play  the  German  '  Lieder '  so 
exquisitely.  Three  weeks  had  passed  since  Madeline 
Rayne  had  come  to  Hazelwood,  weeks  fraught  with 
grave  issues.  She  had  found  a  place  in  Hazel  wood, 
and  had  ceased  to  talk  of  leaving. .  Was  she  happy  ? 
Ah,  we  shall  see. 

Shortly  after  the  music  ceased,  the  library  door 
opened  to  admit  Robert  Hazell.  He  had  his  ulster  on, 
and  his  hat  and  stick  in  his  hand.  These  he  laid  on  the 
tabie,  after  he  had  closed  the  door.  His  face  was  grave, 
and  there  was  a  determined  curve  about  his  mouth.  He 
had  come  to  talk  over  a  serious  matter  with  his  father. 
'  Ah,  well,  is  it  you,  Robert  ? '  said  Mr.  Hazell, 


IN  THE  LIBRARY.  115 

rousing  himself  with  an  evident  effort  '  Going  out, 
are  you,  eh  ? ' 

'  Yes,  I  am  going  over  to  Clieveden,  father,'  Robert 
answered  quietly.  '  I  wanted  to  have  a  little  talk 
with  you  to-night  before  I  go,  if  you  can  spare  the 
time.' 

'  Eh,  well,  what  about  ?  Not  business,  I  hope  ? 
Business  in  business  limits — that's  my  motto.  What 
is  it?' 

'  It  is  about  the  matter  I  talked  to  you  some  time 
ago,  father — my  settlement  in  life.' 

'  Your  marriage  with  the  Meredith  girl  ? '  said  Mr. 
Hazell,  with  a  frown  ;  '  I  thought  you  had  given  over 
that  folly.' 

4 1  told  you,  I  think,  that  Miss  Meredith  had  pro- 
mised to  become  my  wife,'  said  Robert,  slightly  em- 
phasizing the  name.  '  I  also  asked  you  to  consider  the 
question  of  a  suitable  income.  I  am  anxious  to  marry 
in  spring.' 

'  Oh,  you  are,  are  you  ? '  Mr.  Hazell  was  now 
thoroughly  aroused.  '  And  what  would  you  consider  a 
suitable  income,  eh  ?  ' 

'  Four  or  five  hundred  a  year  would  satisfy  me  in 
the  meantime,'  said  Robert  quietly.  '  The  Priory 
House  is  to  let  at  present,  and  I  believe  it  can  be  got 
for  fifty  pounds.  But  I  wanted  to  come  to  a  clear 
understanding  with  you  before  I  made  any  inquiry 
after  it.' 

'  Oh,  indeed  ! ' 

Mr.  Hazell  calmly  folded  out  the  other  side  of  his 
paper,  and  began  to  read.  Robert  bit  his  lip.  Hi? 


n6  HAZELL  6*  SONS. 

father  tried  him  not  a  little.  He  knew  that  he  was 
making  a  very  reasonable  request,  and  he  felt  hurt  at 
his  reception — hurt,  but  not  greatly  surprised. 

4  You  will  remember  that  you  promised  to  think 
over  it  ?  It  is  two  months  since  I  spoke  of  it  to  you 
before.  I  can't  wait  any  longer,  father.' 

'  Four  or  five  hundred  a  year — rather  sweet,'  repeated 
Mr.  Hazell.  '  The  firm  can  hardly  support  two  ex- 
pensive establishments.' 

'  I  am  sorry  to  contradict  you,  father,  but  I  think 
differently,'  said  Kobert  respectfully  but  firmly.  'And 
mine  will  not  be  an  expensive  establishment.  My 
tastes  are  quiet,  and  my  wife's  will  be  similar.  I  must 
press  for  satisfaction  on  the  point  of  income,  because  1 
think  it  is  my  right.' 

'  So  you  think  your  valuable  services  demand  hand- 
some recognition,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  with  a  slight  sneer. 
'The  rising  generation  have  very  exalted  ideas.  Do 
you  know  that  Ford  is  worth  two  of  you,  and  that  he 
thinks  himself  very  well  paid  at  two  hundred  and 
fifty  ? ' 

Robert's  colour  rose.  He  was  angry,  but  he  strove 
to  hide  it.  His  father  was  in  one  of  his  frequent 
irritable  moods,  and  he  had  no  wish  to  make  an  open 
rupture. 

'  You  cannot  regard  a  servant  and  a  son  in  quite  the 
same  light,  father ;  so  we  will  leave  Ford  out  of  the 
question.  If  I  am  of  no  use  at  the  brewery,  perhaps  I 
had  better  leave.' 

'  That  would  teach  you  humility,  sir.  A  few 
hard  knocks  out  in  the  world  would  make  you 


IN  THE  LIBRAR  K  117 

appreciate  the  advantages  you  have  had,'  said  Mr. 
Hazell  grimly. 

'These  advantages  may  be  questioned,  sir,'  said 
Robert.  '  You  gave  us  a  fair  education,  and  then  put 
us  where  we  are  without  consulting  us.  We  have  had 
no  opportunity  to  better  our  condition.  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  had  1  been  with  any  other  firm  I  should  not 
be  serving  for  a  hundred  pounds  a  year  at  nine-aud- 
twenty.' 

Mr.  Hazell's  eyes  flashed.  Perhaps  the  truth  of  his 
son's  words  went  home. 

'  Well,  upon  my  word,  you  are  confoundedly  im- 
pudent. That's  what  a  man  gets  from  his  family  after 
he  has  toiled  to  give  them  ease  and  independence.' 

'  I  don't  wish  to  be  impudent.  I  am  only  speaking 
the  truth,  an  1  you  know  it,  father,'  said  Eobert  a  trifle 
sadly.  '  Am  I  to  have  no  satisfaction  then  ?  In  justice 
to  my  future  wifr  and  myself,  I  must  ask  you  for  a 
plain  answer,  sir.' 

'  I  don't  approve  of  the  girl  at  all  Do  you  know,  it 
is  an  insult  to  me  for  you  to  take  up  with  these  people, 
who  are  constantly  crying  down  my  trada  Would  the 
food  Mrs.  Eobert  Hazell  might  eat  not  choke  her,  I 
wonder,  seeing  it  would  be  paid  for  with  the  price  of 
ale  ?  Ask  her  that,  with  my  compliments.  Ask  her, 
too,  if  she  thinks  it  consistent  to  jump  at  an  offer  of 
marriage  from  a  brewer's  son.  Ugh !  these  teetotallers 
make  me  sick.' 

Eobert  took  up  his  hat  and  stick.  He  saw  no 
prospect  of  being  able  to  obtain  any  satisfaction  from 
his  father. 


n8  HAZELL  &  SOJVS. 

'  Are  you  going  off,  then  ?  Well,  I'm  not  going  to 
be  forced  into  giving  away  the  half  of  my  substance, 
like  the  prodigal's  father.  •  I'll  think  over  it,  but  I'll 
never  consent  to  you  renting  a  mansion  like  the  Priory. 
You  must  begin  small.  If  Miss  Lucy  Meredith  wants 
you,  and  not  your  means,  she'll  be  glad  enough  to  wait 
a  while,  and  mount  the  ladder  with  you.  It  doesn't  do 
to  give  young  people  too  much  liberty.' 

Robert  Hazell  hastily  left  the  room.  It  must  be 
told  that  he  shut  the  door  with  no  gentle  hand.  He 
was  very  angry,  but  there  is  a  righteous  anger  which  is 
perfectly  justifiable.  He  knew  that  he  was  very  badly 
and  unjustly  treated.  The  profits  accruing  from  the 
brewery  could  be  counted  by  thousands,  although  it 
suited  Mr.  Hazell  at  times  to  plead  poverty.  Eobert 
at  once  left  the  house.  He  had  three  good  miles  to 
walk  to  Clieveden,  but  he  was  glad  of  it.  The  fine 
night  air  would  cool  his  hot  head,  and  his  thoughts 
would  have  taken  shape  again  by  the  time  he  saw  Lucy. 

Mr.  Hazell  folded  up  his  paper,  and,  rising,  opened  a 
locked  door  below  the  book-shelves,  where  he  kept  a 
little  store.  Perhaps  he  required  a  good  stiff  glass  of 
spirits  to  restore  his  nerves  after  his  interview  with  his 
son.  Mrs.  Hazell  did  not  know  what  was  kept  in  the 
library  cabinets,  the  keys  of  which  Mr.  Hazell  carried 
constantly  with  him.  She  was  neither  curious  nor 
suspicious,  or  she  must  sometimes  have  had  her  doubts. 

The  brewer  had  composed  himself  at  the  fireside 
again,  when  he  heard  the  hall  door  bell  ring,  and 
presently  Mr.  Ford  was  shown  in.  Since  the  night  of 
the  dinner  Michael  Ford  had  dropped  in  several  times 


JN  THE  LIBRAR  Y  119 

familiarly  at  Hazelwood,  greatly  to  the  disgust  of  the 
young  men.  As  for  Mary,  her  indignation  knew  no 
bounds,  and  she  scarcely  spoke  to  him. 

But  the  master  of  Hazelwood  himself  was  invariably 
most  affable  and  attentive  to  his  manager,  who  could 
thus  afford  to  ignore  the  coldness  of  the  other  inmates 
of  the  house. 

'  Hulloa,  Ford !  good  evening.  Glad  to  see  you  ;  the 
very  man  I've  been  thinking  of.  Draw  in  your  chair. 
Coldish  night,  surely  ?  ' 

'  Yes,  there  is  a  touch  of  frost ;  winter  is  upon  us, 
sir/  said  Michael  Ford,  as  he  rubbed  his  hands  before 
the  cheerful  fire. 

'  Frost,  eh  ?  early,  is  it  not  ?  But  no ;  this  is  the  8th 
of  November,  I  do  declare.  Have  anything  ? ' 

'  Not  just  now,  thank  you,  sir,'  returned  Mr.  Ford. 
He  hoped  to  be  asked  to  join  the  circle  in  the  drawing- 
room,  and  he  had  noticed  that  Miss  Hazell  never  by 
any  chance  touched  stimulants.  Mr.  Ford  liked  a  sip  of 
brandy  or  wine  as  well  as  any  man,  but  he  wished  to 
commend  himself  to  Mary  Hazell. 

'All  well  to-night,  I  hope,  sir.     The  ladies  well?' 

'  Oh  yes,  all  well.  Mrs.  Hazell  is  really  greatly 
improved.  She  is  enjoying  Miss  Ray  lie's  visit.  She 
is  a  fine  girl  that,  Ford.' 

'  Yes,  Miss  Kayne  is  certainly  very  clever,'  said  Mr. 
Ford,  with  a  touch  of  uneasiness.  He  was  mortally  afraid 
of  Madeline  li.iyne,  and  never  felt  at  ease  under  the  gaze 
of  these  clear,  cairn,  womanly  eyes.  He  felt  as  if  she 
could  read  his  inmost  being,  and  knew  every  weakness 
and  fail  in"  of  his  mean  little  souL 


120  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'A  fine  girl,  and  good-looking  too,'  pursued  Mr. 
Hazell  volubly,  being  influenced  by  his  latest  taste  of 
spirits.  '  I'll  tell  you  what,  Ford,  she'd  make  you  a 
splendid  wife.  With  her  you'd  take  quite  a  position  in 
Medlington.  She's  a  thorough  lady,  and  would  make 
people  respect  her  whether  they  will  or  no.  She's  the 
very  wife  for  an  ambitious  young  fellow  like  you.' 

Mr.  Ford  grew  rather  pale,  and  gave  a  nervous 
laugh. 

'  You  are  very  kind,  sir,  and  I'm  much  obliged,  but 
I  couldn't  fancy  her.' 

'  It  would  be  a  fine  thing  for  her  too.  She's  friend- 
less and  penniless,  but  she's  such  a  fine  sensible  girl 
that  I  wouldn't  mind  giving  her  a  dowry  myself  for 
Mary's  sake,  so  you  can  think  over  it,  Ford/ 

'  I — I  don't  think  I  will,  sir,'  said  Ford  humbly  but 
firmly.  'If  I  ever  marry,  it'll  be  some  lady  very 
different  from  Miss  Eayne.  Perhaps  I'm  very  ambitious, 
sir,  but  you've  often  told  me  you  admire  an  ambition 
in  a  young  man.' 

'  So  I  do.  I'd  never  have  been  where  I  am  to-day 
if  I  hadn't  been  ambitious,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  in  the  self- 
satisfied,  contented  tones  of  a  man  who  has  been  made 
happy  by  some  influence.  '  Talking  of  marrying  and 
ambition,  Ford,  I'm  afraid  I'm  going  to  have  some 
trouble  with  Robert.  He's  been  at  it  again  to-night.' 

'  I  met  Mr.  Eobert  on  the  avenue,  and  he  looked  at 
me  as  if  he  could  have  slain  me,  though  I'm  sure  I'm 
his  humble  friend,'  said  Mr.  Ford  virtuously. 

'  They've  an  awful  pride,  these  lads  of  mine,  Ford, 
and  it  must  be  reduced.  What  do  you  suppose  was 


IN  THE  LIBRARY.  121 

his  modest  request  to-night?  He  wants  five  hunched 
a  year  for  his  portion,  and  he's  going  to  take  the  Priory 
for  Miss  Meredith.' 

'  It  seems  a  great  deal,  sir,  but  perhaps  Mr.  Robert 
is  right,'  said  Mr.  Ford  cautiously.  '  You  wouldn't 
think  of  a  partnership  ? ' 

'  No,  I  would  not.' 

'Well,  perhaps  you're  right.  The  last  firm  I  was 
with  at  Leeds,  sir,  when  the  concern  was  given  up  to 
the  sons,  they  just  broke  the  old  gentleman's  heart,  and 
grudged  him  less  than  they  gave  their  manager.  Many 
a  time  my  heart  was  sore  for  him,  but,  of  course,  being 
a  servant,  I  daren't  say  a  word.  It  was  for  thinking  it 
injustice  to  him,  sir,  that  I  got  my  leave,'  said  Ford 
modestly,  but  with  a  quiet  triumph,  as  if  he  rejoiced  in 
suffering  in  a  good  cause.  '  But  even  a  servant  is  a 
man,  sir,  with  a  man's  feelings,  an'  I  couldn't  bear  to 
see  you  put  upon,  even  by  Mr.  Robert,  that  Medlington 
makes  such  a  paragon  of.' 

'You're  a  good  creature,  Ford,  and  I  won't  forget 
you,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  reassuringly.  '  But  what  do  you 
think  we  should  do  about  him  ? ' 

'  It's  not  for  me  to  say,  Mr.  Robert  being  my 
master.' 

'  He's  not  your  master ;  I  am,  Ford,  and  if  I  choose 
to  ask  your  opinion  it's  no  business  of  his.  You've 
been  a  faithful  servant  for  five  years,  and  have  the 
interests  of  the  firm  at  heart.  Tell  me  plainly  what 
you  think  would  be  a  fair  thing  for  Robert.' 

'Well,  sir,  it  would  take  five  hundred  twice  told  to 
keep  up  the  Priory,'  said  Mr.  Ford  cautiously.  The 


122  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

Priory  rankled  in  his  mind.  He  had  had  visions  of  it  in 
his  own  castle-building,  and  had  pictured  himself  dwell- 
ing there  with  Mary  Hazell  as  his  wife.  '  The  profits 
have  been  a  little  less  of  late,  and,  if  you'll  excuse  me 
speaking  so  plain,  I  think  a  little  less  might  satisfy  Mr. 
Robert  in  the  meantime.  There  are  nice  houses  in 
Amanda  Terrace  past  the  quay,  sir,  the  rents  of  which 
are  only  thirty  pounds — very  genteel  houses  with  nice 
gardens.  I'm  sure  Miss  Meredith  would  like  them 
very  well,  and  in  these  houses,  sir,  a  young  couple 
could  live  in  luxury  on  three  hundred  a  year.' 

'I  should  say  so.  I  hadn't  three  hundred  a  year 
when  I  married  Robert's  mother,  and  we  lived  in  your 
house  at  the  brewery,  and  had  to  keep  a  very  plain 
table.  My  father  kept  a  very  tight  hand  on  the 
purse-strings.  I  never  was  indulged  as  these  lads  have 
been,  and  it's  been  the  ruin  of  them.  I'll  speak  to 
Bob  about  the  houses  you  mention.' 

'  But  don't  say  I  spoke  of  them,  because  Mr.  Robert 
would  be  sure  to  be  mortally  offended,'  said  Mr.  Ford 
hastily.  '  You  see,  sir,  I  am  only  a  servant,  and  I've 
no  right  to  presume,  but  when  you  ask  me  for  my 
opinion,  sir,  I  am  bound  to  give  it.' 

'  Of  course  you  are.  You  are  very  useful  to  me, 
Ford :  your  opinion  is  always  worth  having,'  said  Mr. 
Hazell  reassuringly.  '  Well,  is  there  any  more  satisfac- 
tion about  these  houses  in  the  Row.' 

'  Oh,  they're  growling  away,'  said  Mr.  Ford  rathei 
vindictively.  '  But  I  never  mind  them.  I  tell  them 
the  sore  throats  are  caused  by  the  hoar-frosts  from  the 
river.  They're  goin'  to  complain  to  Miss  Hazell  about 


/A'  THE  LTERARY.  123 

the  drainage.  If  she  takes  it  up,  sir,  the  thing  '11  have 
to  be  investigated.' 

'  Oh,  but  I'll  have  Mary  warned.  Hadn't  you  the 
surveyor  round  ? ' 

Mr.  Ford's  small  eyes  twinkled. 

'  Yes,  of  course  we  had,  and  he'd  give  in  to  any- 
thing. I  don't  think  it  would  matter  much  though  a 
few  of  the  children  did  drop  off.  How  these  Trevors 
get  food  for  their  tribe  I  can't  imagine.  The  twelfth 
has  just  arrived.  It's  a  disgrace.' 

'  It's  certainly  very  imprudent.  Have  you  ever 
heard  anything  of  the  Beckers  ? ' 

'  Yes ;  Becker  is  drinking  at  Burnley  worse  than  he 
did  here,'  said  Mr.  Ford.  '  Trevor  has  begun  to  tipple 
too.  I've  warned  him  twice  lately.' 

'  I'll  speak  to  him.  We  mustn't  be  too  hard  on  him 
on  account  of  the  twelve,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  now  quite 
restored  to  good  humour.  '  You  look  well  after  OUT 
interests,  Ford.  You'll  be  looking  for  a  rise  shortly.' 

'  I  am  amply  rewarded  if  I  serve  you  well.  You 
are  a  generous  master,  sir,'  said  Mr.  Ford  modestly. 

'  Ah,  but  you  won't  object  to  a  little  increase  of  pay. 
You  deserve  it,  sir,  and  you  shall  have  it.  We'll  see 
when  quarter-day  comes  round.' 

'  Don't  advance  my  salary  just  now,  sir ;  Mr.  Robert 
might  not  like  it.  I'd  rather  you  gave  anything  extra 
to  him.' 

'  You  are  too  generous,  Ford.  I  wish  Robert  could 
hear  you.  He'd  change  his  opinion  of  you,  which,  I 
am  sorry,  is  not  very  high  at  present.  Do  you  ever 
think  of  yourself  at  all  ? ' 


124  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'Sometimes,  sir.  Perhaps  I'll  ask  my  reward  some  day.' 
'  Well,  when  it  comes,  remind  me  of  what  I  say,  that 
I'll  consider  it  favourably,  because  I  think  your  request 
will  be  quite  in  reason/  said  Mr.  Hazell,  with  a  laugh. 
'  Come,  we'd  better  go  up-stairs.  I  suppose  you've  no 
objections  to  spend  an  hour  with  the  ladies  ? ' 

Mr.  Ford  had  no  objections,  and  said  so,  but  he  did 
not  add  that  to  look  upon  the  face  of  his  master's 
daughter  was  the  object  of  his  visit.  The  time  for  such 
a  disclosure  had  not  yet  come.  But  Mr.  Ford  was 
cautiously  and  steadily  paving  the  way. 


CHAPTER  XIL 


CONTRASTS. 

| ART  was  at  the  piano  when  they  entered  the 
drawing-room.  Her  face  flushed  when  she 
saw  Mr.  Ford  enter  with  her  father,  and 
she  abruptly  rose  and  went  over  to  Mrs. 
Hazell's  sofa.  In  the  recess  at  the  oriel  window 
Herbert  and  Madeline  Rayne  were  deeply  engaged  in 
conversation.  They  were  much  together,  and  their 
walks  and  talks  had  become  very  precious  to  both. 
Herbert  looked  round  quickly  at  the  opening  of  the 
door,  and  a  frown  came  on  his  handsome  face. 

'  Confound  the  fellow  ! '  Madeline  heard  him  say,  and 
they  both  rose  to  advance  into  the  room. 

'  You  seem  all  very  quiet  here,'  said  Mr.  Hazell 
jocularly.  '  Herbert,  you  ought  to  be  grateful  to  Ford 
and  me  for  coming  to  the  rescue/ 

'  I'm  afraid  I'm  not  grateful.  I  was  very  comfort- 
able,' said  Herbert,  without  attempting  to  hide  his 
disgust,  and  favouring  Ford  with  his  usual  off-hand  nod. 
»  '  Don't  rise  from  the  piano,  please,  Miss  Mary,'  said 
Mr.  Ford,  looking  appealingly  at  his  master's  daughter. 
'  Do  be  tempted  to  go  back.' 


126  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

1  No,  thank  you ;  I  have  been  playing  for  quite  half 
an  hour  past,  to  oblige  these  two/  said  Mary  coldly, 
and,  sitting  down,  took  up  her  knitting,  and  kept  her 
eyes  fixed  upon  it. 

'  I  shall  play  something  if  you  like,'  said  Madeline, 
always  willing  to  make  herself  of  use. 

'Thank  you,  Miss  Eayne,'  Ford  said,  but  not  very 
graciously,  for  he  was  disappointed. 

When  Mary  sat  at  the  piano  he  could  stand  near  her, 
and  look  at  her  without  rebuke ;  and  there  were  oppor- 
tunities in  that  distant  corner  of  the  room  for  saying 
certain  things  which  were  not  suitable  for  the  company 
to  hear.  But  Mary  had  registered  a  vow  that  no  such 
opportunity  should  again  be  given  to  Michael  Ford. 

'  Sing  us  something  then,  Lena,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  as 
he  took  his  accustomed  chair,  knowing  that  in  three 
minutes  he  would  be  soothed  to  sleep. 

Mr.  Ford  sat  down,  and,  taking  a  book  of  photo- 
graphs, tried  to  be  interested  in  them,  but  cast  many  a 
furtive  glance  at  Miss  HazelL  If  she  were  conscious  of 
these  looks,  she  made  no  sign.  Herbert,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  took  up  his  position  at  the  piano,  and  watched 
Madeline  while  she  played.  She  trusted  entirely  to 
memory,  and  her  hands  were  at  home  on  the  keys.  As 
they  moved  to  and  fro,  sweetest  melody  followed  them. 
A  softened  and  beautiful  expression  dwelt  on  Herbert's 
face  as  he  looked  at  her,  the  swe?t  woman  who  had 
been  showing  to  him  as  best  she  could  the  beauty  of  a 
good  and  noble  life.  I  wish  I  could  transcribe  the 
talks  they  had  had,  but  they  would  not  materially  assist 
the  unfolding  of  this  history,  so  I  must  refrain. 


CONTRASTS.  127 

'  You  seem  to  feel  what  you  play,  Miss  Eayne,'  he 
said  suddenly. 

'  Why  do  you  think  so  ? ' 

A  sweet,  slight  smile  played  upon  her  face  as  she 
asked  the  question. 

'  Your  eyes  tell  me.  I  never  thought  there  was 
anything  in  music  till  I  heard  you  play.  Now  it  says 
all  sorts  of  things  to  me.' 

'  What  sort  of  things  ? ' 

'  I  couldn't  put  them  in  words.     I  believe  you  know.' 

'  I  think  I  do.'  She  nodded  gravely,  and  her  hands 
glided  into  a  graver,  sadder  melody,  which  was  even 
more  exquisitely  sweet  than  what  went  before. 

These  were  dangerous  minutes  for  them  both.  Mary, 
glancing  once  towards  them,  smiled  in  spite  of  her  own 
perturbation  of  spirit.  She  fancied  she  saw  a  beautiful 
beginning  there,  the  dawn  of  a  new  and  exquisite  life 
for  these  two,  whom  she  loved,  perhaps,  better  than  any 
others  on  earth. 

'  Nine  o'clock,  though,  and  I  must  go,'  said  Herbert,  a 
trifle  hurriedly,  as  the  deep  tones  of  the  hall  clock 
droned  the  hour. 

'  Go  where  ? '  asked  Madeline. 

'  I  have  a  confounded  engagement,  but  I'll  be  back 
before  long.  I'm  awfully  sorry,  especially  if  you  care. 
Do  you  know,  I'm  the  most  miserable  wretch  on  the 
face  of  the  earth.' 

'  Why  ? ' 

Madeline's  colour  rose  a  little,  and  her  eyes  dropped 
towards  the  keys.  But  she  played  on. 

'  Oh,  I  daren't  tell  you,  you'd  never  speak  to  me  again,' 
he  said,  still  more  hurriedly.  'I  wish  I'd  never  been  born. 


128  HAZELL  <5r>  SONS. 

She  raised  her  eyes  quickly,  with  a  laugh  in  them, 
but,  when  she  saw  his  face,  they  became  grave  again. 
He  seemed  really  distressed,  and  again  she  was  deeply 
puzzled.  Of  late  she  had  noticed  a  strange  uneasiness 
about  Herbert  HazelL  He  took  moody  fits,  when  he 
would  scarcely  speak.  At  other  times  he  was  boisterously 
merry,  and  seemed  overflowing  with  good  spirits. 
Neither  was  natural,  and  Madeline,  though  scarcely 
aware  yet.  how  deep  was  the  interest  in  him,  began  to 
dread  lest  he  had  got  into  some  serious  trouble.  And 
yet  outwardly  all  seemed  well,  and  he  and  his  father 
had  been  very  friendly,  and  there  had  been  no  late 
hours  to  be  found  fault  with. 

'  I  must  go.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  soon.  Though  I 
don't  know  when  I'll  get  the  courage.  Good-bye  just  now.' 
So  he  darted  out  of  the  room,  without  vouchsafing 
any  explanation  or  apology  to  the  rest.  As  for  Mr. 
Ford,  he  was  of  less  account  with  Herbert  Hazell  than 
the  dust  under  his  feet.  The  fellow  was  perfectly 
odious  to  him. 

It  was  a  fine  winter  night,  with  just  a  pleasant  touch 
of  frost  to  harden  the  muddy  roads,  and  make  the  air 
clear  and  bracing.  Herbert's  steps  sounded  quick  and 
firm  on  the  terrace  under  the  drawing-room  windows. 
Madeline  heard  them,  and  knew  he  had  taken  the 
direction  of  the  upland  path.  The  avenue  turned  in 
the  opposite  way.  Herbert  walked  very  quickly,  for  he 
was  behind  time.  It  was  thirteen  minutes  past  nine 
when  he  leaped  the  low  hedge  into  the  moorland  and 
reached  the  grove.  And  there  he  found  Jane  Gregory 
waiting  for  him.  She  was  very  angry,  he  knew  by 
the  set  expression  on  her  face,  when  she  saw  him  coma 


CONTRASTS.  129 

'  I'm  awfully  sorry,  Janie,'  he  began  eagerly,  but  she 
coldly  pushed  him  off  when  he  would  have  come  near  her. 

'  Sorry  !  very  likely,'  she  said  scornfully.  '  It's  always 
the  same  story.  I'm  not  going  to  stand  it  any  longer, 
Herbert  Hazell.' 

'Well,  upon  my  honour,  Janie,  before  dinner  gets 
over,  and  that,  the  time's  all  gone,'  he  said  humbly,  for 
she  must  be  mollified. 

'  Oh  yes,  of  course ;  you  needn't  tell  me ;  I  know  all 
about  it,'  said  the  girl  quietly,  but  with  marked 
bitterness.  '  I'd  known,  though  I'd  never  been  told. 
You've  to  hang  so  long  over  her  while  she  sings  and 
plays  to  you,  and  go  walking  all  over  the  grounds  with 
her.  I  know  just  how  it  goes  on,  but  it's  got  to  be 
dropped,  that's  all.' 

'  Do  you  think  I'm  in  love  with  her,  Janie  ? ' 

'  I  don't  think  it,  I  know  it,'  was  the  sharp  and 
scornful  retort. 

'  Well,  I'm  not,  then.  She's  Molly's  friend,  and  a 
jolly  nice  girl.  She  can  talk  so  sensibly  to  a  fellow. 
Can't  I  have  a  friend  if  I  like,  Janie  ? ' 

'No,  you  can't.  You've  got  me,  and  if  I'm  not 
enough,  why  it's  a  poor  look-out  for  the  future,  that's 
all,  and  the  sooner  you  change  your  mind  the  better. 
I've  mine  made  up.' 

'  What  for  ? ' 

'  I'm  going  to  let  the  secret  out.1 

'  Oh,  you  mustn't,  Janie.  It  would  be  the  ruin  of  ma 
The  governor  would  just  kick  me  out  of  the  house  at  once,' 

'  Well,  it  wouldn't  matter.  You  could  get  something 
to  do.  If  you  had  a  particle  of  spirit  you  wouldn't 


i3o  HAZELL  fr  SOWS. 

stay  with  the  old  man  any  longer.  I'm  sick  of  your 
way  of  going  on,  Herbert.  Pa  tells  me  you're  never  at 
the  club  now,  and,  as  you're  not  here,  I  can  guess 
where  you  are,  though  Kitty  didn't  tell  me.  You 
never  cared  enough  for  me  to  give  up  or  do  anything 
for  my  sake,  but  whenever  this  dowdy,  old-fashioned 
girl  comes,  you  would  go  down  on  your  bended  knees 
to  serve  her.  All  Medlington  says  it's  to  be  a  match. 
You  can't  expect  I  find  that  a  very  pleasant  thing  to 
listen  to,  do  you  ?' 

Herbert  was  silent.  He  had  not  a  word  to  say. 
So  they  stood  for  a  moment,  looking  at  each  other. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  say  which  was  the  more 
miserable  of  the  two.  Jane  Gregory  was  consumed 
with  a  fierce  jealousy,  Herbert's  heart  wrung  with 
the  pangs  of  an  unavailing  regret.  Oh,  to  undo  the 
folly  of  these  past  years !  Love,  the  sweet  and  true 
and  ennobling,  had  touched  him  at  length  ;  he  had 
obtained  a  glimpse  of  what  life  might  anr!  can  be 
for  a  man  who  tries  to  make  it  a  noble  and  beautiful 
thing,  and  when  his  effort  is  crowned  by  the  precious 
sunshine  of  a  good  woman's  love.  Yes ;  he  had 
obtained  his  glimpse  too  late,  for  he  could  not  now 
undo  the  chain  of  his  bitter  bondage.  And  yet  the 
very  intensity  of  his  own  unhappiness  made  him  feel 
almost  tender  towards  the  girl  with  whose  love  he  had 
played.  He  had  begun  his  love-making  with  Jane 
Gregory  simply  to  wile  away  an  idle  hour,  without 
a  thought  of  the  consequences. 

'  How  much  longer  is  this  to  go  on  ? '  she  asked  in 
a  hard,  bitter  tone,  which  had  in  it  a  note  of  ineffable 


CONTRASTS.  131 

weariness.  Her  face  was  very  pale,  her  eyes  heavy, 
for  her  heart  was  very  sore.  She  had  not  been  well 
nor  justly  treated — had  she  loved  him  less,  she  would 
have  resented  it  more. 

'  Well,  Janie,  what  are  we  to  do  ?  I  suppose  I'll 
have  to  tell,'  he  said  gloomily.  His  evident  objection 
stabbed  her  to  the  heart. 

'  Yes,'  she  said  quietly,  '  you'll  have  to  tell.' 

'  If  I  was  only  engaged  to  you,  Herbert,'  she  added 
at  length,  '  I'd  let  you  off,  though  you  don't  deserve  it. 
I  wish  now  I  had  died  before  I  went  to  visit  Aunt 
Tilly  at  Burnley.' 

Herbert  never  spoke.  He  was  thinking  of  his 
father,  of  Mary,  and  of  Madeline  Rayne.  How  would 
they  look  when  they  heard  the  story  he  had  to  tell. 

Just  at  that  moment  there  was  another  pair  of 
lovers  standing  together  in  the  moonlight  at  the  garden 
gate  of  Clieveden.  They  were  anxious,  too,  for  they 
had  been  discussing  a  grave  problem ;  but  there  was 
a  perfect  and  beautiful  trust  in  the  eyes  of  Lucy 
Meredith  as  they  were  uplifted  to  the  true  face  of 
the  man  whose  wife  she  hoped  to  be  one  day.  They 
had  much  to  sadden  and  perplex  them,  but  there  was 
a  perfect  confidence  between  them — no  concealment, 
no  distrust,  nothing  to  shadow  their  happiness  except 
the  clouds  raised  by  the  selfish  hands  of  others.  Their 
future  was  uncertain,  but  they  were  certain  of  each 
other's  faith,  and  that  is  much. 

'  My  mind's  quite  made  up,  then,  Lucy,'  said  Robert 
Hazell.  '  I  shall  tell  my  father  my  intention  to  apply 
for  that  situation  at  Burnley.' 


t$t  KAZELL  s- 

'Very  well,  Eobert;  and  if  he  allows  you  to  go, 
what  a  sacrifice  you  will  be  making  for  me !  I  am  not 
worthy  of  it* 

'That  is  for  me  to  prove,  Lucy.  If  it  ends  in  my  going 
to  Burnley,  you  will  not  let  me  live  long  there  alone  ? ' 

She  moved  nearer  to  him  and  laid  her  head  on  his 
arm.  It  was  her  answer,  more  eloquently  given  than 
in  words. 

'  Two  hundred  a  year,  Lucy !  You  will  need  to  be 
a  very  economical  wife  to  manage  such  a  princely 
income/  he  said,  with  gentle  banter.  'Do  you  think 
we  shall  get  something  to  eat  and  drink  with  it  ? ' 

'  Surely.  I  am  not  afraid,  Robert.  Mamma  has 
taught  me  how  to  spend  money.  May  I  tell  you, 
Kobert,  I  think  I  shall  be  happier  there  than  I  would 
be  at  the  Priory :  you  know  why.' 

'  Yes,  and  that  is  the  only  thing  which  reconciles  me 
to  it.  But  it  will  make  a  complete  breach  between  us 
and  Hazelwood,  Lucy.' 

'  It  will  make  no  difference  to  Mary,  Robert.' 

'  Not  to  Mary ;  but  my  father  will  not  permit  her 
to  visit  us,  I  feel  sure.  It  is  very  difficult  to  know 
what  is  right,  Lucy.  I  am  not  at  all  sure  of  our 
manager.  He  has  acquired  of  late  too  great  an 
influence  over  my  father.  If  I  leave  the  brewery, 
the  only  check  upon  Ford  will  be  removed.  I  am 
almost  certain  that  he  is  presuming  to  think  of 
Mary.' 

'  Oh,  that  vulgar  little  man !  Robert,  I  cannot 
believe  it.' 

'  It  is  true.     He  is  too  much  at  Hazelwood.     It  is 


CONTRASTS.  133 

not  his  position  as  a  servant  I  dislike,  Lucy,  it  is  the 
man.  He  is  like  Uriah  Heep,  affects  a  servile  humility 
which  disgusts  me.  He  is  at  heart  ambitious,  scheming, 
and  unscrupulous,  only  my  poor  father  does  not  see  it. 
He  thinks  him  a  paragon.  Life  is  full  of  troubles  and 
perplexities,  dear ;  it  is  often  difficult  to  know  where  or 
how  to  turn.  But  I  must  not  keep  you  here  any 
longer  in  the  night  dews.  Whatever  happens,  my 
darling  will  be  true.' 

Ay,  she  would — true  till  death  itself  should  part 
them  for  a  little  while. 

They  lingered  a  little  over  their  parting,  as  lovers 
will,  then  Robert  Hazell  turned  to  go  home,  thanking 
God,  as  he  had  often  done,  for  the  womanly  heart  he 
had  won. 

It  was  a  fine  clear  night,  and  after  leaving  Clieveden 
he  struck  across  the  moor,  which  would  save  him  a  good 
half-mile.  As  he  neared  the  knoll  he  saw  two  figures 
leave  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  and  smiled  at  their 
attitude.  It  was  not  wonderful  that  he  should  have 
sympathy  for  another  pair  of  lovers.  As  he  looked 
again,  he  fancied  there  was  something  familiar  in  the 
man's  figure  and  gait,  and  when  they  emerged  into  the 
full  moonlight  he  recognised  Herbert.  The  girl  he  did 
not  know,  but,  when  he  saw  them  pause  at  the  back 
gate  of  Miles  Gregory's  house,  he  divined  who  she  was. 
He  had  heard  a  rumour  once  or  twice  that  Herbert  was 
running  after  Miss  Gregory,  but  had  never  credited  it. 
Since  Madeline  Rayne  had  come  to  Hazelwood  he  had 
discredited  the  gossip  altogether,  Herbert's  admiration 
for  and  attention  to  her  were  so  very  marked.  He 


134  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

was  surprised  and  disappointed  in  Herbert,  he  had  so 
rejoiced  in  Miss  Eayne's  influence  over  the  wayward 
lad.  Eobert  did  a  most  unusual  thing  for  him — he 
stood  still  behind  the  trees  at  the  knoll  and  watched 
the  lovers  part.  He  wanted  to  wait  for  Herbert — they 
might  as  well  walk  home  together.  After  Miss  Gregory 
went  into  the  house,  Herbert  began  to  walk  dejectedly 
back  towards  the  knoll.  He  had  his  hands  in  his 
pockets  and  his  eyes  bent  on  the  ground.  Eobert 
stepped  out  from  the  trees  and  went  to  meet  him. 

'  Holloa ! '  was  all  that  Herbert  said ;  '  where  have 
you  been  ? ' 

'  At  Clieveden,  and  came  across  the  moor.  When  I 
saw  you  I  thought  I'd  wait  for  you,  and  we  could  walk 
home  together.  Was  that  Miss  Gregory  ? ' 

'  Yes/ 

Not  another  word  would  Herbert  speak. 

'  I  heard  a  while  ago  that  you  were  paying  some 
attention  to  Miss  Gregoiy,  but  I  didn't  believe  it/  said 
Eobert  frankly,  but  there  was  no  answer. 

'  I  hope  you  are  not  playing  with  the  girl,  Herbert. 
I  don't  suppose  you  would  care  to  marry  her/  he  con- 
tinued ;  but  still  there  was  no  answer. 

'  And  what  about  Madeline  Eayne,  Herbert  ?  Mary 
and  I  hoped  that  your  friendship  would  ripen.  She  is 
a  sweet  and  noble  woman,  whom  any  man  might  be 
proud  to  win/ 

'  You  mind  your  own  business/  cried  Herbert,  turn- 
ing on  him  like  a  lion.  '  I  don't  meddle  with  you. 
Leave  me  alone,  will  you,  and  let  me  marry  who  I  like. 
You  and  Mary  will  know  all  about  it  soon  enough/ 


CHAPTER  Xin. 
THE  MOTHERS'  MEETING. 

FEEL  so  nervous,  Lena,  I  am  sure  I'll  make 
the  thing  a  failure.  If  I  cannot  speak,  will 
you  come  to  the  rescue  ? ' 

'  Yes,  but  I  am  not  afraid  for  you  ;  you 
will  behave  splendidly,  I  know,'  said  Madeline  Eayne 
cheerfully,  as  she  drew  on  her  gloves.  They  were 
together  in  Mary's  room  dressing  for  the  meeting  to  be 
held  in  the  schoolroom  at  Paradise  Row,  the  first  of  the 
series  of  mothers'  meetings  which  Mary  had  talked 
about  so  long. 

'  Oh,  you  always  think  I  shall  do  splendidly.  "Wait 
till  you  see  your  own  and  my  miserable  discomfiture 
to-night,'  said  Mary  dolefully.  *  Isn't  it  positively 
awful  of  me  to  have  made  no  preparation  for  it  ? 
But  somehow  I  couldn't,  though  I  have  tried  several 
times.' 

'  You  will  speak  from  the  heart,  and  you  will  touch 
the  heart ;  don't  fear.  Are  you  ready  then  ? ' 

'  Yes.  I  wish  mamma  had  been  able  to  go.  It  seems 
BO  presumptuous  of  a  girl  like  me  to  speak  to  those 


136  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

experienced  wives  and  mothers.  I  hope  they  will  not 
resent  it,'  said  Mary,  as  they  went  out  of  the  room. 

'  Never  fear.  Nobody  would  ever  resent  anything  you 
do  or  say.  Don't  you  know  you  have  a  smile  which 
would  melt  the  nether  millstone  ? '  asked  Lena,  with  a 
laugh,  in  which  Mary  joined. 

They  looked  into  the  drawing-room  on  their  way 
down.  Mrs.  Hazell  was  on  her  couch,  still  frail,  but 
sweet  and  bright,  and  interested  in  everything  and 
everybody.  Mr.  Hazell  had  just  come  up  from  his 
wine,  and  Herbert  was  lying  back  in  a  rocking-chair, 
twirling  his  thumbs  and  looking  gloomily  at  the  fire. 
He  sat  up  when  the  girls  entered,  and  cast  a  keen,  swift 
glance  at  the  face  of  Madeline  Rayne.  It  seemed  to 
have  grown  sweeter  since  she  came  to  Hazel  wood ;  the 
grey  colour  had  brightened  into  a  faint  flush  on  the 
cheek,  and  the  careworn  lines  had  vanished  from  mouth 
and  brow.  Had  she  then  enjoyed  the  rest  and  ease 
of  Hazelwood  ?  Ay,  but  there  was  something  more. 
Eobert  was  not  in  the  drawing-room.  His  relatives  had 
not  seen  much  of  him  for  a  few  days.  He  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  leisure  at  Clieveden.  A  cool  reserve 
was  maintained  between  his  father  and  himself.  Mary 
felt  uncomfortably  conscious  that  something  was  going 
to  happen.  She  did  not  know,  of  course,  exactly  how 
matters  stood  between  her  father  and  Eobert,  but  she 
saw  that  the  latter  was  preoccupied  and  meditative.  There 
had  been  several  railway  journeys  of  late,  too,  for  which 
she  could  not  account ;  but  she  tried  not  to  anticipate 
trouble,  and  hoped  her  father  would  yet  relent  in  favour 
of  Lucy  Meredith. 


THE  MOTHERS'  MEETING.  137 

'  Well,  are  you  all  ready  ? '  asked  Mrs.  Hazell,  with  a 
smile. 

'  Isn't  the  brougham  at  the  door,  papa  ? ' 

'  Of  course ;  been  there  for  half  an  hour,'  responded 
Mr.  Hazell  gruffly,  but  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  which 
Madeline  met  with  a  smile. 

'  Not  quite,  Mr.  Hazell,  for  I  heard  Thomas  drive  up 
as  we  left  Mary's  room.  You  might,  too,  come  and  help 
us,  sir.' 

'  I  ?  they'd  soon  run  home  if  they  saw  my  face  at  the 
iloor.  Well,  Mary,  see  and  give  them  a  sensible  advice. 
Are  you  going  to  tackle  Mrs.  Trevor  about  the  upbringing 
of  the  twelve  ? ' 

'  Oh,  what  nonsense,  papa !  I  am  only  going  to 
have  a  friendly  chat  with  them.  I  shouldn't  dare  to 
try  and  teach  them  about  their  children.  It  is  only 
to  brighten  their  lives  a  little.  Lena  is  to  sing  her 
very  sweetest  for  them.  Don't  you  think  they  will 
like  that?' 

1  Well  they  might,'  grunted  Mr.  Hazell,  looking 
approvingly  at  Miss  Eayne.  He  liked  her  very  much, 
and  it  was  at  his  special  request  that  she  had  postponed 
her  departure  from  Hazelwood.  It  had,  indeed,  been 
tacitly  agreed  that  she  should  remain  through  the  winter. 
She  seemed  to  have  tilled  a  vacant  place  in  the  house. 
They  all  loved  her ;  even  the  servants  waited  upon  her 
for  love,  and  yet  she  was  very  quiet  and  unobtrusive  in 
her  ways.  But  she  had  constant  consideration  for  others, 
and  was  always  doing  little  kindnesses  of  which  few 
people  would  have  thought.  She  seemed  to  step  into 
the  breach  somehow,  ana  had  become  indispensable  to 


138  HAZELL  <y  SONS. 

the  household.  And  she  was  so  happy  in  it  that  she 
was  only  too  willing  to  remain. 

'  I  really  think,  my  dears,  you  ought  to  have  Kitty 
with  you  to  make  and  serve  the  tea,'  said  Mrs.  Hazell 
presently. 

'  Oh  no,  mamma ;  they  wouldn't  like  that,  I  assure 
you.  Kitty  is  a  good  girl,  but  she  is  rather  patronizing 
to  the  women  in  the  Rows.  I  found  that  out  when  1 
sent  her  with  Mrs.  Trevor's  jelly  and  soup  when  she 
was  ill.  I  expect  she  set  it  down  with  the  air  she 
assumes  when  she  gives  the  tramps  a  piece  of  bread.  I 
said  nothing,  but  determined  Kitty  should  do  no  more 
of  my  visiting  at  the  Rows.  Lena  and  I  shall  enjoy 
making  the  tea  immensely,  and  the  bread  is  all  ready ; 
there  is  only  the  ci  ke  to  cut.  I  mean  to  tell  them  I 
made  it  for  them  with  my  own  hands.' 

'  Oh  yes,  you'll  be  scrubbing  their  floors  and  washing 
their  clothes  for  them  immediately.  You'll  have  the 
whole  concern  finely  spoiled  in  a  month's  time,'  said  Mr. 
Hazell  grumpily ;  but  Mary  only  laughed. 

'  Well,  when  am  I  to  send  Thomas  for  you  ? '  he  asked 
then. 

'  We  can't  say,  but  I  think  we'd  like  to  walk  home, 
wouldn't  we,  Lena  ?  Herbert,  you  lazy  boy,  what  are 
you  dreaming  there  for  ?  You'll  come  and  escort  us 
home,  won't  you  ? ' 

'  Yes,  I'll  come/  said  Herbert,  and  looked  straight  at 
Madeline  Rayne,  until  her  colour  began  to  rise.  Then 
a  deep,  dark  shadow  crossed  the  young  man's  face,  and, 
rising  suddenly,  he  left  the  room. 

*  Our   boys  have   really  grown  too  eccentric  of  late, 


THE  MOTHERS'  MEETING.  139 

Lena/  said  Mary,  with  a  sigh,  as  they  went  down-stairs, 
'  1  wish  you  had  known  them  in  the  old  days,  they 
were  so  different  and  so  jolly.' 

'  Oh,  they  will  be  jolly  again,  Mary,  never  fear,'  said 
Madeline  cheerfully,  as  they  passed  out  to  the  front 
steps.  Herbert  was  standing  at  the  carriage  door,  ready 
to  help  them  in. 

'\Vell,  what  time  shall  I  turn  up?'  he  asked  as  he 
shut  the  door  on  them. 

'  Oh,  about  half-past  nine,  eh,  Lena  ?  I  think  we 
shall  be  glad  enough  to  disperse  then.  If  we  have 
collapsed  sooner,  we'll  just  wait  in  the  school  till  you 
come.  I  hope  Nancy  Ketterley  has  the  fires  on,  Lena, 
or  we  will  have  a  struggle  to  get  tea.  If  it  is  a  failure, 
it  will  damp  our  energies  all  evening.' 

'  Molly  is  perfectly  dissipated  on  the  tea  subject,  isn't 
she  ? '  laughed  Madeline.  She  put  up  her  hand  to 
unloose  her  wraps  as  she  spoke,  and  Herbert,  leaning 
over  the  window,  touched  her  hand  as  she  did  so.  Why 
should  that  sudden  touch  send  a  strange  thrill  through 
them  botli  ?  Ah  me  !  had  young  love,  the  sweet  and  true, 
come  to  them  only  to  bring  with  it  its  bitterest  pain  ? 

It  was  natural  that  Mary  should  be  excited  over  her 
venture.  She  did  not  know  how  the  mothers'  meeting 
would  turn  out,  though  they  had  all  promised  to  come. 
She  was  truly  anxious  to  benefit  and  help  the  dwellers 
in  the  Row,  and  there  were  a  few  who  appreciated  her 
motive,  and  loved  her  for  it. 

They  talked  all  the  way  to  the  Rows ;  and  when  they 
reached  the  school  Mary  was  in  the  best  of  spirits.  It 
was  delightful  for  her  to  think  she  was  engaged  in 


MO  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

some  useful  work,  even  though  it  partook  of  the  nature 
of  an  experiment. 

The  school  was  lighted,  and  Nancy  Ketterley  had  the 
fire  on  and  the  kettle  boiling  ready  for  the  young  ladies. 
She  came  bustling  out  when  the  brougham  drove  up, 
and  with  several  scathing  remarks  attempted  to  disperse 
the  crowd  of  open-mouthed  urchins  congregated  about 
the  door.  Nancy  Ketterley  was  a  great  character. 
Opinion  was  divided  as  to  whether  she  was  a  trifle 
demented  or  only  exceptionally  shrewd.  She  cleaned 
the  offices  at  the  brewery,  and  looked  after  the  school 
cleaning  and  firing,  and  had  a  one-roomed  house  at  the 
Rows.  She  was  not  well  liked  by  the  neighbours,  as 
her  tongue  wagged  very  freely,  and  she  had  a  way  of 
laying  her  finger  on  their  weaknesses.  But  it  is  to  be 
supposed  that  Mr.  Hazell  found  in  her  a  good  servant, 
as  she  had  been  in  his  employment  for  nearly  thirty 
years.  Perhaps  her  long  service  had  given  her  a 
privilege ;  at  least  she  was  not  in  the  least  particular  in 
her  remarks  to  her  master  or  the  members  of  his  family. 
She  didn't  approve  of  the  mothers'  meetings,  and  had 
obeyed  Miss  Hazell's  orders  with  grudging  willingness. 

'  I  don't  wonder  that  the  lads  gape,  Tummus,'  she 
said,  as  she  took  down  a  hamper  from  the  box.  '  It's 
enough  to  make  older  uns  gape.  What  do  you  think  o' 
this  new  idee  ? ' 

Tummus  winked  expressively,  but  didn't  venture  on 
a  remark,  Miss  Hazell  being  quite  within  hearing. 

'  Drat  'em,  get  out  o'  my  way  ! '  said  Nancy,  elbowing 
the  urchins  aside.  '  You  can't  wonder  at  all,  Miss  Mary. 
They  think  it's  a  swarry,  an'  their  mouths  is  waterinV 


THE  MOTHERS'  MEETING.  141 

'  Poor  little  mortals  !  We  must  have  a  night  for  the 
children  soon,'  said  Miss  Hazell,  with  a  smile.  '  That's 
all  now,  Nancy ;  shut  the  door.  Oh,  what  a  splendid 
tire  !  Isn't  it  cosy,  Lena  ? ' 

Certainly  there  was  an  air  of  comfort  and  a  pleasant 
glow  of  light  and  heat  in  the  school  that  evening.  It 
was  not  a  very  large  room,  and,  though  Nancy  Ketterley 
did  not  approve  at  all  of  the  new  innovation,  she  had 
done  her  best  to  make  the  place  comfortable.  It  was, 
of  course,  for  love  of  the  sweet  young  lady,  who  had  a 
way  of  winning  every  heart.  With  her  own  hands  Miss 
Hazell  spread  a  cloth  on  the  schoolmaster's  table,  and  set 
in  the  middle  a  prettily  shaded  lamp  and  two  beautiful 
plants  she  had  purloined  from  the  greenhouse  for  the 
occasion.  Then  Madeline  Rayne  and  she  proceeded  to 
cut  the  cake  and  set  out  the  cups  and  saucers.  They 
provided  for  forty ;  there  were  almost  sixty  women  at 
the  Eows,  but  Mary  could  only  count  on  little  more 
than  the  half  of  these.  Some  were  ill,  and  some  too 
much  occupied  to  come,  and  a  few  had  surlily  declined 
to  accept  her  invitation.  There  are  always  in  such 
things  some  cross-grained  mortals  who  try  the  cold  water 
cure  for  any  new  enthusiasm.  But,  on  the  whole,  Mary 
Hazell's  invitation  had  been  very  cordially  responded  to. 
The  majority  were  glad  at  the  prospect  of  having  a  little 
brightness  infused  into  their  monotonous  lives.  Half- 
past  seven  was  the  hour  of  meeting,  and  a  few  minutes 
before  the  time  the  first  knock  came  to  the  door,  and  in 
answer  to  Miss  Hazell's  hearty  '  come  in,'  three  women 
entered.  They  looked  round  the  place  in  pleasant  sur- 
prise. The  desks  had  been  removed,  and  some  forms 

jo 


i4a  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

set  in  a  kind  of  circle  round  the  fire,  and  every  available 
chair  had  been  brought  into  use  to  take  away  from  the 
formal  look  of  the  place.  The  bright  light  and  warmth, 
the  pretty  table,  the  piano  with  its  shaded  candles  and 
bunches  of  flowers,  and  the  smiling,  welcoming  face  of 
the  master's  daughter,  sent  a  glow  to  their  hearts,  and 
their  faces  brightened  into  smiles. 

'  Come  away,  Mrs.  Trevor,  and  Sally  too,'  said  Mary 
in  her  pleasant  way.  'I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,  Mrs. 
Brown.  You  know  you  wouldn't  promise.  Take  off 
your  bonnets  arid  shawls.  Nancy  will  take  care  of 
them.  Isn't  it  bright  and  cosy  here  ? ' 

'  It  is  indeed,  Miss  Mary ;  it's  jes'  fine,'  said  Mrs. 
Brown,  a  dull-eyed,  stolid-looking  woman.  '  It's  like 
the  thing.  Eh,  I  smell  the  muffins !  'Tain't  every  day 
we  get  hot  muffins,  eh,  Sally  Trevor  ? ' 

In  about  ten  minutes  the  whole  of  the  expected 
guests  arrived.  All  seemed  pleased  with  their  reception, 
and  some  bright  faces  grew  brighter  under  the  influence 
of  Mary  Hazell's  smile. 

'I  think  we  must  begin  with  a  hymn.  I  wonder 
what  one  you  know  best.  I  think  everybody  knows 
"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee."  Lena,  will  you  play  it  over?' 

Lena  did  so,  and  then  began  to  sing,  her  exquisite 
voice  sounding  through  the  room  with  such  a  melody 
that  some  of  them,  in  their  amazement,  forgot  to  join  in. 

But  at  the  second  verse  they  all  sang,  and  some 
voices  which  had  not  been  so  raised  for  years  joined 
falteringly  in  the  sweet,  familiar  strains.  There  were 
some  discords  perhaps,  but  to  Mary  Hazell  the  singing 
sounded  wholly  sweet.  When  it  was  over,  she  reverently 


THE  MOTHERS'  MEETING.  143 

closed  her  eyes,  and,  folding  her  hands,  asked  in  a  few 
simple,  earnest  words  for  a  blessing  on  their  meeting. 
Then  the  tea  began. 

The  two  girls  had  purposely  come  down  in  their 
quiet  dinner-dresses,  and  wore  pretty  aprons  above 
them.  They  wanted,  they  said,  to  do  honour  to  their 
guests.  I  am  quite  sure  there  never  was  anywhere  a 
pluasanter  meal  than  that  tea.  That  the  guests 
thoroughly  enjoyed  it  was  evident  by  the  constant 
replenishing  of  cups,  and  passing  of  bread  and  muffin 
plates. 

Mary  Hazell,  with  her  own  tea-cup  in  one  hand  and 
the  kettle  in  the  other,  flitted  about  from  one  to  another 
in  great  glea  The  tea  was  of  the  best  quality ;  and 
the  cake  was  pronounced  splendid.  The  first  part  or 
the  entertainment  was,  without  doubt,  a  success.  While 
Nancy  Ketterley,  with  as  little  noise  as  possible,  carried 
the  cups  into  the  anteroom,  Madeline  Eayne  sang  an 
old  English  lallad,  with  which  most  of  them  had  been 
familiar  since  their  childhood. 

Then  Mary,  with  a  little  excited  nervousness  visible 
in  her  flushed  cheeks  and  shining  eyes,  stood  up  behind 
the  table  to  make  her  little  speech.  From  the  piano- 
stool  Madeline  Eayne  watched  her  with  a  loving  and 
fearless  pride.  She  knew  she  would  just  say  all  that 
was  required,  and  with  the  best  grace  and  tact.  Her 
confidence  was  not  misplaced.  Mary's  words  were  very 
simple,  but  they  came  up  earnestly  from  a  loving  and 
unselfish  heart.  She  began  by  saying  that  it  was  the 
duty  of  all  men  and  women  to  do  all  that  lay  in  their 
power  to  make  those  around  them  happy.  She  spoke 


144  HAZELL  <5r»  SONS. 

of  the  influence  cast  by  a  bright  spirit,  and  tried  to 
show  that  every  human  being  in  the  world  had  an 
influence  to  use  for  good  or  bad.  And  thus  she 
gradually  approached  her  more  immediate  subject,  and 
clearly  explained  the  aim  of  the  mothers'  meetings.  It 
was  to  foster  a  kindly  interest,  she  said,  in  each  other, 
as  well  as  to  make  a  little  break  in  the  round  of  the 
work  of  life.  She  spoke  of  her  own  earnest  desire  to 
be  of  some  use  among  her  father's  people ;  and  as  she 
uttered  her  true-hearted  words  Lena  Kayne  saw  several 
eyes  fill  with  tears.  She  concluded  by  thanking  them 
all  for  coming,  and  hoped  that  that  evening  was  to  only 
be  the  beginning  of  many  happy  ones  to  follow.  She 
was  listened  to  with  the  closest  attention,  and  there 
was  a  murmur  of  applause  when  she  sat  down.  Then 
their  sewing  and  knitting  was  brought  out,  and 
Madeline  Rayne  read  a  short  chapter  from  a  most 
interesting  story,  which  Mary  proposed  to  continue 
from  week  to  week.  At  ten  minutes  to  nine  another 
hymn  was  sung,  and  the  first  mothers'  meeting  was  at 
an  end.  Mary  went  over  to  the  door  and  shook  hands 
with  each  one  as  she  retired. 

'  God  bless  you,  Miss  Mary  I  I  haven't  had  a  night 
like  it  for  years,'  said  one,  as  she  pressed  the  sliin,  hand 
close  in  her  toil-hardened  palm. 

'  Nor  I,  Miss  Mary,'  said  Mrs.  Trevor  heartily ;  '  and 
if  Trevor  'ud  mind  the  children  I'd  be  glad  o'  sich  a 
treat  every  night/ 

'  That  wouldn't  pay,  mother,'  said  Sally  next.  '  Eh, 
Miss  Mary,  the  singing  was  splendid  ! ' 

Some  never  spoke,  only  gripped  her  hand  firm  and 


THE  MOTHERS  MEETING.  145 

fast,  and  answered  her  by  their  tears.  Mary's  own 
eyes  were  not  dry  when  she  went  back  to  Lena's  side. 

'  Hasn't  it  been  splendid  ?  I  never  thought  it  would 
be  half  so  nice.  What  did  I  say,  Lena  ?  I  felt  so 
nervous,  and  yet  I  could  hardly  get  the  words  out 
fast  enough.' 

'  Say,  rny  darling !  just  what  was  best  and  most 
beautiful,'  said  Lena  softly.  '  God  bless  you,  Mary ! 
You  have  a  great  work  lying  to  your  hand.' 

'  Do  you  think  so  ?  I  feel  so  uncertain  always.  I 
sometimes  wish  God  would  mark  out  the  way  very 
plainly.  I  seem  to  need  it  so.  I  have  not  confidence 
enough.  Thank  you  for  your  singing,  Lena.  They 
liked  that.  You  must  never  leave  us  now,  you  know ; 
you  are  a  fixture  among  us.' 

Madeline  smiled,  and  just  then  the  school  door 
opened,  and  Herbert  looked  inquiringly  in.  Then  he 
entered,  and  some  one  else  followed  him  closely.  It 
was  Mr.  Michael  Ford. 

'  Oh,  Lena ! '  whispered  Mary,  with  a  sudden  shiver 
and  tremble  of  the  hand  in  her  friend's  arm.  '  Let  us 
get  away  home  quickly.  I  cannot  suffer  that  man  ! ' 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


THE    WALK    HOME. 

ICHAEL  FORD  was  in  many  respects  a  shrewd 
man ;  but  his  confidence  in,  and  admiration 
for,  his  own  personal  qualities  blinded  him 
to  things  which  even  an  uninterested  observer 
could  plainly  see.  Nothing  could  be  more  patent  than 
Miss  Hazell's  dislike  of  his  attentions.  Mary,  indeed, 
came  nearer  being  rude  to  her  father's  manager  than  she 
had  ever  been  in  her  life  to  any  one,  and  yet  Mr.  Ford 
fancied  himself  getting  on.  He  took  Miss  Hazell's  cold 
courtesy  for  shyness,  her  reserve  for  the  dignity  of  good 
breeding,  of  which  Mr.  Ford,  of  course,  knew  nothing. 
She  certainly  treated  him  in  a  very  different  manner 
from  what  he  was  accustomed  to  among  certain  young 
ladies  in  Medlington,  but  he  was  not  disconcerted.  He 
considered  himself  good-looking,  smart,  and  attractive, 
and  his  position  in  the  brewery  was  very  well  assured. 
His  heart  had  leaped  at  the  mere  prospect  of  getting  rid 
of  Robert  Hazell,  of  whom  he  stood  considerably  in  awe. 
If  he  should  leave,  then  an  incubus  would  be  removed 
from  Mr.  Ford's  actions,  and  he  would  have  a  greater 
liberty  to  prosecute  his  own  ideas  and  further  his  own 

140 


THE  WALK  HOME.  147 

interests.  Robert  Ilazell  had,  in  reality,  no  idea  of  the 
power  and  influence  exercised  by  Ford  over  his  father, 
or  most  assuredly  he  would  never  have  contemplated 
leaving  the  brewery,  at  least  until  Ford  had  been  re- 
moved or  reduced  to  his  proper  place.  Mr.  Ford's  face 
wore  a  sprightly  smile  as  he  came  jauntily  into  the 
schoolroom  behind  Herbert  HazelL  They  had  not  come 
up  together,  but  had  only  met  at  the  door.  Herbert 
could  not  endure  Ford  as  a  rule,  but  felt  that  he  could 
tolerate  him  to-night,  seeing  that  his  presence  would 
give  him  Madeline's  company  all  to  himself  on  the  way 
home.  Herbert  knew  very  well  that  Mary  was  quite 
capable  of  keeping  Mr.  Ford  in  his  place.  To  walk 
home  alone  with  Madeline — perhaps  to  feel  her  light 
touch  on  his  arm  !  What  a  thrill  the  thought  sent 
through  him  !  and  yet  it  was  a  forbidden  joy — nay,  now 
it  was  a  sin,  because  of  the  insuperable  barrier  his  folly 
and  rash  haste  had  placed  between  them. 

'  Good  evening,  ladies,'  said  Michael  Ford  when  he 
was  half  across  the  floor.  '  I  was  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  thought  I'd  look  in  to  see  how  the  affair  had  gone 
off.  Everything  up  to  the  mark,  I  hope,  Miss  Hazell  ? 
I  gave  Ann  Ketterley  a  word  of  comfort  about  it  this 
morning.  I  hope  she  made  the  place  right  for  you  ? ' 

'  Ann  did  all  I  asked  her  to  do,  of  course,'  returned 
Mary  coldly  ;  '  she  had  no  concern  with  any  other  orders. 
Are  you  ready,  Lena  ?  Is  it  still  fine  out  of  doors, 
Herbert  ? ' 

'  Yes  ;  it's  a  stunning  night  for  a  walk.  You  won't 
need  all  these  shawls  and  things.  I  suppose  Ford  and 
I'll  need  to  load  ourselves  with  them  ? '  said  Herbert 
lightly,  but  looking  with  melancholy  eyes  at  Madeline 


i4S  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

Kayne.  She  had  wound  a  bright  scarlet  scarf  about  her 
throat,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  vivid  hue  had  lent  a  faint 
reflection  to  her  face ;  or  perhaps  her  colour  had  arisen 
by  her  effort  to  still  the  beating  of  her  heart. 

'  We  can  carry  our  things  ourselves,'  said  Mary  almost 
snappishly.  '  There's  no  need  to  trouble  any  one.  You 
need  not  wait  unless  you  wish,  Mr.  Ford.  Ann  will 
lock  up  all  right ;  she  has  done  it  too  often  to  make 
any  mistake  about  it.' 

'  Oh,  I'm  not  in  any  hurry.  I'd  like  the  walk  as  far 
as  the  bridge  anyway,  Miss  Hazell,'  said  Mr.  Ford  affably. 
'  Let  me  take  your  shawls.' 

Mary  hesitated  a  moment.  She  saw  unmistakable 
pleading  in  her  brother's  eyes,  and  for  the  sake  of  him 
and  Madeline  she  was  willing  to  sacrifice  herself.  If 
she  had  but  known  how  vain  was  her  kindly  deed — 
nay,  how  it  but  made  more  bitter  the  pain  in  Herbert's 
heart ! 

'  Very  well,  come  along  then,'  she  said  briskly,  greatly 
to  the  delight  of  Mr.  Ford,  who  made  haste  to  burden 
himself  with  the  ladies'  wraps.  So  they  all  passed  out. 
Ann  Ketterley  marched  to  the  door  after  them,  and 
watched  them  out  of  sight,  muttering  to  herself  and 
making  the  most  extraordinary  grimaces  all  the  while. 
A  light  had  suddenly  dawned  upon  her,  and  her  mind 
was  in  a  curious  state.  It  would  not  have  been  safe  at 
that  moment  to  have  asked  Ann  Ketterley  for  her  opinion 
of  Michael  Ford. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  Mary  and  Mr.  Ford  took  the 
lead,  and  the  other  pair  came  up  more  leisurely  behind. 
Perhaps  it  was  no  object  for  them  to  hurry.  The  moments 
were  too  dangerously  sweet  for  them  to  wish  them  over 


THE  WALK  HOME.  149 

And  they  were  to  be  the  last,  Herbert  told  himself.  His 
story  must  be  told  to-night  to  Madeline  Rayne.  Mr. 
Ford  tried  hard  to  induce  Miss  Hazell  to  walk  through 
the  town,  which  was  really  the  nearer  way.  Of  course 
it  was  natural  he  should  wish  Medlington  to  be  a  witness 
to  his  triumph,  but  Mary  chose  otherwise,  and  insisted 
on  going  the  more  unfrequented  though  longer  way. 

'  And  how  did  the  meeting  go  off,  Miss  Hazell  ? 
You've  never  told  me  yet,'  he  \entured  to  say,  encouraged 
by  Mary's  remarks  on  the  weather  and  other  common- 
place topics. 

4  Oh,  very  well,  thank  you,'  said  Mary  briefly. 

'  How  many  turned  out  ?  I  was  in  the  Rows  this 
morning,  and  there  was  quite  an  excitement  over  it. 
You  are  very  kind  to  them,  Miss  Hazell,  and  I  told 
them  I  hoped  they'd  be  grateful.' 

'  They  would  resent  that.  I  do  not  work  for  grati- 
tude, Mr.  Ford,  but  to  try  and  brighten  the  lives  of  my 
father's  people.  I  should  prefer  that  you  did  not  speak 
to  them  about  me  at  all,  if  you  please,'  said  Mary  hotly, 
for  she  was  very  angry. 

'  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  meant  no  offence,'  said  Mr. 
Ford  readily.  '  I  am  as  anxious  as  you  can  be  for  their 
welfare,  I  assure  you.' 

Mary  bit  her  lip.  Her  pride  was  rebelling.  How 
dared  he  speak  of  himself  and  her  in  that  fashion, 
coupling  their  names,  as  if  it  could  be  possible  for  them 
ever  to  have  a  single  thought  in  common. 

'  Have  they  been  complaining  to  you  lately  about 
their  houses,  Miss  Mary  ? '  asked  Michael  Ford,  changing 
the  subject,  and  speaking  very  respectfully.  '  Don't  you 
think  their  houses  very  good  of  their  kind  ? ' 


150  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  They  may  be  good  of  their  kind,'  said  Mary,  with  a 
sigh,  '  but  they  seem  to  me  to  need  a  great  deal  done  to 
them.  Some  of  them  are  very  damp.  The  little  room  in 
Trevor's  house  had  water  trickling  down  the  walls  while 
Mrs.  Trevor  was  lying  ill.  I  wonder  she  ever  recovered  ' 

'  Oh,  it  was  damp,  murky  weather  at  the  time,  Miss 
Hazell.  I  think  the  houses  are  splendid.  Compare 
them  with  other  working  people's  houses,  and  you'll 
agree  with  me.  But  there's  no  satisfying  work-folks, 
Miss  Mary,  as  you'll  soon  tuid  when  you've  been  among 
them  a  little  while.' 

Mary's  lips  curled  in  the  darkness,  and  her  fine  eyes 
flashed  with  scornful  amusement.  She  knew  enough 
about  Michael  Ford's  antecedents  to  feel  that  his  remarks 
about  working  folk  and  their  needs  were  much  out  of 
taste.  But  it  suited  him  to  forget  that  his  father  had 
been  a  miner  at  Burnley,  and  that  his  mother  had 
wrought  at  the  pithead  at  Wigan.  It  was  creditable  to 
him  that  he  had  got  on  so  well,  but  his  desire  and 
attempts  to  act  the  fine  gentleman,  and  to  affect  a 
contempt  for  the  labouring  poor,  made  him  despicable  in 
the  eyes  of  Mary  Hazell.  She  had  not  that  foolish  pride 
which  despises  poverty,  and  draws  a  fine  line  betwixt 
class  and  class.  Had  Michael  Ford  been  a  gentleman 
at  heart,  and  a  manly  man,  he  would  have  found  a 
true  friend  in  Mary  Hazell.  But  he  was  a  sycophant 
and  a  time-server,  a  worshipper  of  mammon  and  rank, 
and  Mary's  clear  eyes  had  read  him  through  and  through. 

'  What  would  you  like  done  to  the  houses  then,  Miss 
Hazell  ? '  he  continued,  when  he  received  no  reply  to 
his  warning  about  the  ingratitude  of  the  poor. 

'  I  think  they  should  all  be  drained  in  the  first  place, 


THE   WALK  HOME.  151 

and  larger  windows  put  in,'  said  Mary  quickly  enough 
now,  lor  she  was  deeply  interested  in  the  sanitary 
condition  of  the  Rows.  'I  had  a  long  talk  with 
Doctor  Winthorpe  one  day  when  I  met  him  in  Trevor's 
cottage.  He  says  light  and  air  are  the  chief  factors  in 
the  preservation  of  good  health.  To  make  the  Rows 
quite  what  they  should  be,  Mr.  Ford,  the  houses  would 
need  to  be  rebuilt,  and  I  am  afraid  that  will  never  be.' 

1  If  you  wished  it  very  much,  Miss  Hazell,  I  don't  see 
why  it  should  not  be,'  said  Michael  Ford,  with  eagerness, 
and  turning  his  head  to  see  her  face.  But  Mary  looked 
straight  before  her,  and  made  answer  quickly. 

'  Mr.  Hazell  does  not  see  the  necessity  for  it.  He 
says  the  people  have  lived  for  over  thirty  years  in 
them,  and  brought  up  healthy  families,  and  perhaps  he 
is  right.  All  this  talk  about  sanitary  precautions 
now-a-days  only  makes  folk  uncomfortable.  It  is  the  old 
story.  A  little  knowledge  is  a  dangerous  thing.  Now  here 
we  are  at  the  bridge,  so  I  shall  say  good-night,  Mr.  Ford. 
Herbert  can  carry  the  things  the  rest  of  the  way.' 

Mary  looked  back  as  she  paused  at  the  parapet,  and 
saw  the  pair  sauntering  along  arm  in  arm.  A  smile 
dawned  on  her  lips,  but  she  quickly  banished  it  when 
she  saw  it  reflected  on  Mr.  Ford's  face. 

'  It  is  not  far  to  Hazelwood  gates,  Miss  Mary,'  he 
pleaded.  'Let  us  walk  on.  It  is  a  pity  to  disturb 
them.'  Mary  walked  on  then  without  a  word. 

'  Miss  Rayne  is  a  charming  young  lady.  No  doubt 
you  will  be  delighted  to  have  her  for  a  sister. 
Medlington  says  it's  to  be  soon,'  said  Michael  Ford, 
thinking  it  no  breach  of  good  manners  to  allude  to 
family  matters  to  his  master's  daughter 


152  HAZELL  S-  SONS. 

'Medlington  is  in  too  great  a  hurry  as  usual,' 
returned  Mary  curtly.  '  There  is  nothing  between  my 
brother  and  Miss  Eayne.' 

'  But  there  will  be,  or  both  our  eyes  have  deceived  us, 
Miss  Mary,'  said  Ford  facetiously.  '  There's  one  not  far 
off  who  won't  like  the  news.  It  vexed  me  when  Mr. 
Herbert  ran  so  much  here.  It  wasn't  the  thing  for  him.' 

They  were  within  sight  of  Mileswood,  and  Mary 
knew  quite  well  that  he  was  alluding  to  Jane  Gregory, 
but  she  gave  him  no  answer. 

'You'll  be  losing  both  your  brothers  soon,  Miss 
Hazell.  Mr.  Hazell  has  been  good  enough  to  tell  rne 
that  Mr.  Robert  is  to  be  married  soon.  Will  you  allow 
me  to  urge  something  on  you,  Miss  Mary  ? ' 

'  What  ? ' 

'Advise  Mr.  Robert  not  to  press  for  too  big  an 
income  just  now.  The  firm  has  sustained  several 
losses,  and  it  irritates  Mr.  Hazell  to  be  continually 
asked  for  money.  Mr.  Robert  has  spoken  about  taking 
the  Priory  for  Miss  Meredith.  Your  father  will  never 
consent  to  it.  But  if  they  would  be  content  with  a 
little  less  just  now,  they  might  get  it  by  and  by. 
Advise  him  to  it,  Miss  Mary.  I  know  Mr.  Hazell's 
mind  on  the  subject,  and  he  won't  change  it.' 

'I  should  never  presume  to  advise  my  brother,'  said 
Mary  in  a  voice  as  cold  as  ice.  '  He  is  never  wrong, 
and  he  will  not  ask  too  much.  Will  you  excuse  me, 
Mr.  Ford,  if  I  say  I  cannot  possibly  discuss  family 
matters  with  you.  If  you  persist,  I  must  turn  and 
rejoin  Herbert  and  Miss  Rayne.' 

'Now,  you  are  not  understanding  me,  Miss  Mary. 
I  don't  want  to  presume.  I  have  the  good  of  the  family 


THE  WALK  HOME.  153 

at  heart,  and,  if  you'd  believe  it,  I'd  do  anything  for 
you,'  he  srid,  with  a  passionate  ring  in  his  voice.  'If 
you'll  only  be  kinder  to  me  I'll  use  all  my  influence 
with  Mr.  Hazell  to  have  the  Rows  sorted.  Only  just 
say  the  word.' 

Mary  turned  her  back  on  Michael  Ford  and  began 
rapidly  to  retrace  her  steps,  he  following  rather 
dejectedly  behind.  Certainly  the  first  hint  of  his 
intention  had  not  been  very  encouragingly  received. 

'  Holloa !  have  you  fallen  out  ? '  queried  Herbert 
rather  banteringly ;  but  when  he  saw  Mary's  face  he 
surmised  what  had  happened. 

'  Come,  Lena,  how  slowly  you  have  been  walking,' 
said  Mary,  taking  her  by  the  hand.  'Good-night,  Mr. 
Ford,'  and  with  a  distant  bow  she  marched  past  that 
individual,  taking  Lena  with  her. 

Herbert  could  only  bid  the  manager  good-night  also, 
and  hasten  after  the  ladies.  Mr.  Michael  Ford,  then, 
had  received  his  first  repulse,  but  he  was  in  no  way 
disconcerted.  As  he  walked  back  to  his  lodging  over 
the  brewery  gates  he  laid  his  plans  anew,  and  built  up 
his  ambitious  hopes  once  more  even  on  Miss  Hazell's 
coldness  and  disdain. 

Mary  chattered  incessantly  during  the  rest  of  the 
way  home.  She  was  excited.  Madeline  saw,  and 
surmised  what  had  happened.  The  other  two  did 
not  speak  much,  both  being  occupied  with  their  own 
thoughts.  Mary  had  interrupted  their  talk  just  when 
it  had  become  very  earnest — but  Madeline  was  not 
sorry.  She  knew  that  she  loved  Herbert  Hazell,  and 
that  he  loved  her.  But  there  need  be  no  haste  in  the 
telling;  there  was  time  enough,  and  the  present  was 


154  HAZELL  6r-  SONS. 

passing  sweet.  Ah,  dear  heart !  She  did  not  dream 
that  the  last  hour  of  such  sweet  happiness  was  past. 

'  It  is  not  late.  Don't  let  us  hurry  in,  the  night  is 
so  fine,'  said  Herbert,  as  they  emerged  from  the  shadow 
of  the  avenue  trees  and  went  up  the  open  side  of  the  lawn. 

'  Late!  it  is  ten  o'clock,  I  am  sure,'  said  Mary  quickly. 
'  Quite  time  we  were  all  in  the  house.'  She  disengaged 
her  hand  from  Madeline's  arm  as  she  spoke,  and  looked 
curiously  at  her  brother,  who  had  paused  in  the  middle 
of  the  gravelled  pathway.  His  face  was  pale,  and 
Mary  saw  that  he  seemed  much  agitated. 

'  Will  you  go  into  the  house,  Molly,'  he  said  in  a 
low  voice.  '  I  want  to  speak  to  Miss  Rayne.' 

Mary  nodded,  a  sudden  tear  started  to  her  eye ;  she 
hastily  kissed  Madeline,  and  ran  up  the  broad  steps  to 
the  door. 

Madeline  stood  still,  trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

'  I  think  we  must  go  in  too,'  she  said  in  a  faltering 
voice.  '  It  is  late,  as  Mary  says.' 

'  Not  yet ;  come  down  the  low  road  with  me.  I  must 
speak  to  you,  Madeline,'  said  Herbert  Hazell  hoarsely. 
'  Oh,  my  darling,  I  am  the  most  miserable  man  on  the 
face  of  the  earth.' 

•'  Why  ? ' 

Her  sweet  face  grew  radiant  in  its  compassionate 
tenderness.  She  slipped  her  gentle  hand  through  his 
arm,  and  led  him  away  from  before  the  lighted 
windows.  He  had  called  her  his  darling,  and,  if  she 
was  so,  had  she  not  the  right  to  comfort  and  help 
him  if  she  could. 

'  Why  will  you  blame  yourself  so  ? '  she  asked  in  a 
low,  soothing  voice.  '  You  have  tried  so  hard  to  do 


THE   WALK  HOME.  155 

rijjht  of  late.  There  is  no  use  brooding  over  the  past, 
though  there  may  be  much  to  regret  in  it.  It  is  the 
future  you  have  to  do  with  now.  If  you  make  it  noble 
and  true,  you  will  soon  forget  all  that  was  unworthy.' 

Every  brave,  womanly  word  she  uttered  stabbed  him 
to  the  heart. 

'  It  is  not  that — it  is  not  that ! '  he  said  hoarsely. 
'  If  it  were  only  that,  I  should  be  a  happy  man.  I  love 
you,  Madeline,  as  truly  as  ever  man  loved  woman. 
You  could  have  made  a  man  of  me  had  I  met  you 
sooner.  I  shall  be  thankful  if  you  care  nothing  for 
me,  if  you  only  despise  me  as  I  deserve.' 

'  But  I  do  care  for  you,'  said  Madeline  Rayne  in  a 
low,  trembling  voice.  '  It  is  not  too  late ;  life  is  all 
before  us,  Herbert.' 

She  looked  him  full  in  the  face,  with  eloquent  eyes 
adding  weight  to  her  sweet  words.  He  did  not  meet 
that  look,  knowing  his  own  unworthiness.  With  a 
groan  he  turned  aside,  and,  leaning  against  a  gnarled 
oak  trunk,  covered  his  face  with  his  hands. 

'  It  is  too  late !  Don't  you  understand  ?  There 
is  another — woman,  who  is  an  inseparable  barrier 
between  us.' 

Madeline  grew  paler,  and  even  drew  herself  away 
from  him.  If  he  had  sought  her  love,  while  bound  by 
a  tie  of  honour  to  another,  then  he  was  un  worthier 
e"en  than  she  had  deemed  him. 

'  It  is  worce  even  than  you  think,  Madeline.  If  it 
had  only  been  a  foolish  promise  or  a  flirtation  it  might 
have  been  no  obstacle,'  he  said,  still  keeping  his  face 
hidden.  '  But  there  is  no  hope ;  for  I  have  married 
her,  Madeline.  Jane  Gregory  is  my  wife ! ' 


CHAPTEE  XV. 


A   TRYING    HOUR. 

HERE  are  some  strange  moments  in  human 
life,  moments  of  feeling  so  intense  and  keen 
that  they  could  not  long  be  endured.  It  is 
well  such  do  not  occur  often,  or  are  much 
prolonged.  Years  of  peace  could  scarcely  atone  for  one 
such  instant  of  agony.  Madeline  Rayne  stood  abso- 
lutely still  for  a  moment,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  Herbert 
Hazell.  His  face,  however,  was  hidden,  and  he  was 
unconscious  of  that  stony  gaze.  Had  his  eyes  for  a 
moment  met  hers,  the  secret  of  her  heart  must  have 
been  revealed  to  him.  It  is  not  always  easy  to  keep 
the  feelings  absolutely  under  control ;  sometimes  the 
tumult  of  the  soul  finds  silent  but  unmistakable 
expression  in  the  face.  So  it  was  at  that  moment  with 
Madeline  Eayne.  But  it  passed.  She  crushed  down 
her  pain,  though  God  alone  knew  how  bitter  it  was  to 
her.  She  was  a  lonely  woman  whom  few  loved.  The 
very  reserve  and  self-containedness  of  her  nature  gave  a 
strange  and  passionate  intensity  to  her  feelings.  Love 
for  her  could  only  mean  deep,  unutterable  happiness  or 
the  reverse.  She  held  nothing  lightly.  Her  nature 

IM 


A  TRYING  HOUR.  157 

was  too  earnest  to  find  much  pastime  in  life.  She  had 
had  a  hard  experience  ;  neglect,  solitude,  hitter  battling 
for  mere  existence  she  had  known,  but  never  anything 
so  unbearable  as  this.  She  was  like  a  little  boat  drifted 
at  ease  on  sunny  seas  suddenly  overtaken  by  a  cruel 
storm.  But  it  passed,  as  I  say,  in  a  moment.  She 
drew  herself  up,  one  breath,  which  was  almost  a  sob, 
escaped  her  white  set  lips,  and  she  turned  her  eyes,  full 
of  a  compassion  which  was  almost  divine,  on  the  bowed 
figure  of  the  man  at  her  side.  He  had  given  her  a 
bitter  cup  to  drink.  He  had  sought  her  love,  if  not  in 
word,  in  the  thousand  nameless  ways  to  which  a 
woman's  heart  so  quickly  responds  ;  but  he  was  weak 
and  needed  comfort.  She  suffered,  but  she  was  the 
stronger  of  the  two.  She  felt  that  he  waited  for  her 
guiding,  and  it  gave  her  strength  to  be  a  ministering 
angel.  It  is  born  of  pain,  this  angelic  ministry  with 
which  many  women  bless  the  lives  of  others.  Is  it  not 
true  that  the  sweetest  and  most  precious  things  of  earth 
are  bought  by  suffering  ?  I  think,  if  you  probe  into 
the  heart  of  things,  you  will  find  it  so. 

'  Your  wife,  Herbert ! '  she  repeated  in  a  low  voice,  but 
very  gently.  '  This  is  a  very  sad  thing,  I  think,  for  her.' 

'  Why  for  her  ? ' 

He  Hung  up  his  head,  and  looked  at  her  almost 
fiercely.  He  had  expected  pity  for  himself,  not  for  the 
girl  whose  life  his  selfishness  had  blighted.  He  cared 
nothing  for  her,  but  she  was  his  wife — well  might 
Madeline  Rayne  pity  her. 

'  Why  for  her  ? '  he  repeated,  when  she  gave  him  no 
answer.  'It  is  a  thousand  times  sadder  for  me,  I 
think.  You  know  very  well  I  would  give  my  right 

11 


158  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

hand,  Madeline,  to  undo  what  I  have  done ;  and  it  was 
more  her  blame  than  mine.' 

'  Hush,  hush  ! '  Madeline's  voice  rang  out  almost 
shrilly  in  its  sharp  rebuke.  '  Do  not  make  me  think 
you  even  less  worthy  than  you  are.  No  man,  but  only 
a  coward,  would  blame  her,  and  I  hope  you  are  not  a 
coward  yet.' 

'  Well,  but  I  must  explain,'  he  said,  with  the  slightest 
touch  of  sullenness  in  his  tone.  '  I  was  fond  of  her, 
you  know,  and  would  have  married  her  right  enough  if 
she  had  waited.  The  secret  marriage  was  her  proposal. 
She  went  to  Burnley  and  stayed  with  her  aunt  for  some 
weeks,  and  we  were  married  privately  there.  It  was 
all  over  in  half  an  hour,  and  not  a  creature  knew  any- 
thing about  it.' 

'  But  why  should  it  have  been  done  privately  ? ' 
asked  Madeline  coldly  and  critically,  as  a  judge  might 
have  spoken.  She  had  hard  work  keeping  herself  from 
despising  him,  and  she  would  not  spare  him,  though  she 
saw  how  anxious  he  was  to  keep  her  good  opinion,  and 
to  defend  himself. 

'  Oh  well,  you  know,  the  governor  would  never  have 
heard  of  such  a  thing.  You've  heard  him  on  Gregory, 
and ' — 

'  You  did  not  marry  Gregory,'  put  in  Madeline 
quietly.  '  The  girl  is  a  good  girl.  I  cannot  but  think 
she  has  been  badly  used  by  you.  A  secret  marriage  is 
not  a  token  of  respect  to  any  woman,  Herbert,  and 
there  are  only  solitary  instances  in  which  it  is  justifi- 
able. In  your  case  it  was  wrong.' 

'  Well,  I  don't  know.  The  governor  would  probably 
have  paid  me  off  had  I  told  him  I  intended  such  a 


A   TRYING  HOUR.  159 

thing.  You  know  how  mad  he  is  about  Lucy  Meredith, 
and  I  suppose  there  is  a  difference  between  her  and 
poor  Janie,  who  is  a  good  girl,  but  not  a  lady,  and  never 
will  be.' 

Again  Madeline  caught  him  up  sharply.  She  thought 
the  tone  in  which  he  spoke  of  his  wife  most  offensive. 

'  How  long  is  it  since  your  marriage  took  place  ? 
she  asked  in  the  same  judge-like  way. 

'  Oh,  it's  a  good  while.  I  forget  the  date/  he  an- 
swered carelessly. 

'  Was  it  before  I  came  ? ' 

Why  did  she  ask  the  question,  I  wonder  ?  Was 
her  aching  heart  seeking  some  crumbs  of  comfort  out  of 
the  chaos  ? 

'  No,  it  was  the  week  after.' 

1  It  will  be  ten  weeks  to-morrow  since  I  came.' 

'  Is  it  so  long  ?  the  time  has  flown  on  wings.  If  you 
had  only  been  a  month  sooner,  Madeline,  this  wretched 
thing  would  never  have  happened,'  he  said  gloomily. 

'  Why  should  you  call  it  a  wretched  thing  ? '  she 
asked,  with  a  forced  cheerfulness.  '  Few  men  would 
think  it  a  misfortune  to  have  such  a  handsome  wife. 
Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  ? ' 

'  I  don't  know.     I  want  you  to  help  me,  Madeline.' 

For  a  moment  she  turned  her  head  away.  His  very 
calmness  hurt  her.  Were  all  men  alike  selfish  ?  she 
wondered.  Her  idol  was  very  poor  clay  after  all  It 
was  a  wholesome  lesson  Madeline  was  learning  even  in 
these  bitter  moments,  and  one  which  would  bring 
healing  in  its  train. 

'  How  can  I  help  you  ? '  she  asked.  Her  voice  was 
cold,  but  he  did  not  notice  it. 


160  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

'  It'll  have  to  come  out.  She  won't  keep  it  any 
longer.  It'll  make  an  awful  rumpus,  won't  it?  I  wanted 
Janie  to  go  quietly  abroad  with  me,  but  she  would  not.' 

'She  was  quite  right.  I  don't  know  your  wife,  Herbert, 
but  I  think  I  admire  her  more  than  I  admire  you.' 

'  You  are  very  plain  spoken,  Madeline.  You're  not 
half  so  sympathetic  with  a  fellow  in  his  trouble ;  and 
yet  you've  been  so  jolly  good  to  me.  It's  for  you  I'm 
so  down  about  this  business.  What  would  I  not  give 
if  you  were  in  Janie's  place ! ' 

'You  forget  whom  you  are  talking  to,  and  what  you 
are  saying,  I  think,'  said  Madeline  in  a  voice  as  cold  as 
ice.  '  There  is  no  profit  in  such  talk.  Let  us  go  into 
the  house.' 

'  I  know  I'm  a  brute,  but  I'm  a  miserable  wretch, 
Madeline/  he  said  humbly.  '  You've  taught  me  to  wish 
to  do  right,  and  be  a  better  man.  Don't  leave  me  in 
this  lurch.  Tell  me  what  to  do,  and  I'll  be  guided  by 
you.  I  am  really  anxious  to  do  right.' 

Again  her  heart  was  touched,  and  she  looked  at  him 
with  a  more  kindly  eye.  There  was  good  in  him, 
but  oh,  the  fair  flowers  of  noble  manhood  were  choked 
with  the  weeds  of  selfishness  and  weak  indulgence. 

'  Do  you  want  me  to  point  out  your  duty  to  you  ? '  she 
asked,  and  a  faint  smile  dawned  on  her  lips.  Already 
she  felt  herself  years  older  than  he,  and  she  spoke 
almost  as  a  mother  might  have  spoken  to  an  erring  son, 

'  Of  course  I  do.  There's  nobody  else  can.  The 
governor  would  only  fly  into  a  terrible  passion,  and 
Mary  would  cry.  She  always  does,  and  she  doesn't  like 
Janie,  I  know.  I've  heard  her  come  down  awfully  on 
her.  As  for  Bob,  he'd  shrug  his  shoulders  like  the 


A  TRYING  HOUR.  161 

Levitc,  and  pass  on.  I  suppose  he's  got  enough  to  do 
with  his  own  affairs  just  now.  So  you're  really  the  only 
one  a  fellow  can  rely  upon.  Mrs.  Hazell  is  very  kind, 
you  know,  but,  like  myself,  she  hasn't  much  backbone.' 

'  Well,  I  think  you  know  as  well  as  I  do  what  the 
first  part  of  your  duty  is.  You  must  acknowledge  your 
marriage  at  once.  You  will  tell  your  father  to-night.' 

'  To-night ! '  Herbert  shrugged  his  shoulders.  '  And 
what  if  he,  figuratively  speaking,  kicks  me  out  of  the 
house.  He  hates  Gregory  like  poison,  and  really  he  is 
a  presuming  little  creature.' 

'  If  Mr.  Hazell  elects  not  to  forgive  you,  then  you 
must  just  leave  the  house,  and  go  and  work  for  your 
wife.  Poor  girl,  I  am  sgrry  for  her;  you  have  not 
acted  a  man's  part,  Herbert.' 

'  So  you  have  said  already.  You  are  coming  down 
very  heavily  on  me,  Madeline.' 

'Not  more  heavily  than  you  deserve,'  she  answered 
quickly,  and  there  was  a  note  of  weariness  in  her  voice. 

'  It'll  be  an  awful  job  telling  the  governor,  Madeline. 
Won't  you  help  me  ?  He's  so  jolly  fond  of  you.  You 
could  make  him  do  anything.' 

'  No,  I  won't.  This  is  a  thing  you  must  do  yourself, 
Herbert.  It  ought  not  to  be  so  difficult,  for  your  wife's 
sake.' 

'  If  she  were  like  you,  Madeline,'  he  said  gloomily. 
'  You  don't  know  the  kind  of  girl  she  is.  She  can't 
help  a  fellow.  She  doesn't  care  a  fig  whether  he  does 
right  or  not.  It's  position  she  wants,  though  I've  told 
her  often  enough  there  won't  be  much  position  as  my 
wife.  It's  a  miserable  business  from  beginning  to  end.' 


i6a  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

Madeline  was  silent.  It  was  a  miserable  business ;  she 
could  not  but  pity  the  foolish  pair  who  had  bound  the 
matrimonial  chain  about  them  without  even  the  basis 
of  mutual  respect  on  which  to  build  their  family  happiness. 

'  What  do  you  suppose  Molly  will  say  to  this  ? ' 
asked  Herbert  presently." 

'  Mary  will  say  and  do  all  that  is  good  and  right  and 
kind/  responded  Madeline  quickly.  'You  need  not  be 
afraid  of  her.  It  is  to  yourself  you  must  look.  You 
have  a  great  deal  to  make  up  to  your  wife,  Herbert. 
If  she  cares  for  you,  this  may  only  be  the  beginning  of 
a  happy  and  useful  life  for  you  both.' 

It  cost  her  something  to  utter  these  words.  But 
Madeline  Rayne  was  nothing,  if  not  unselfish.  All  her 
life  she  had  been  accustomed  to  set  herself  aside  for 
others.  But  no  sacrifice  had  ever  touched  her  so  nearly 
as  this.  She  pleaded  Jane  Gregory's  cause  at  serious  cost 
to  herself. 

'  If  you'd  be  a  friend  to  Janie,  Madeline,'  Herbert 
began  eagerly,  '  she  might  get  to  be  a  little  like  you. 
If  Mary  goes  to  see  her,  will  you  go  with  her  ? ' 

'  Not  just  at  first ;  Mary  will  want  to  go  alone ;  but 
by  and  by,  Herbert,  I  shall  go  and  see  your  wife,'  said 
Madeline  gently,  and  began  as  she  spoke  to  move  away 
from  the  shrubbery.  The  first  excitement  over,  she  felt 
very  tired.  She  felt  as  if  she  could  creep  into  some 
quiet  corner,  and  sleep  away  the  ache  at  her  heart. 

'  Am  I  to  tell  the  governor  to-night,  then,'  Madeline  ? ' 

'  Yes,  and  if  you  like  I  shall  speak  to  Mary.  The 
sooner  it  is  done  the  better  now.' 

'  All  right ;  I'll  do  it,'  said  Herbert,  and  drew  himself 
up  as  he  spoke,  as  if  with  a  new  courage.  '  After  all, 


A  TRYING  HOUR.  163 

anything  will  be  better  than  the  misery  of  the  last  two 
months.  You  have  been  awfully  good  to  me,  Madeline. 
I'll  never  forget  it  as  long  as  I  live.' 

His  eyes  dwelt  hungeringly  on  her  sweet,  pale  face. 
He  was  to  be  pitied,  as  well  as  blamed,  for  that  face 
was  a  thousand  times  dearer  to  him  than  Jane  Gregory's, 
with  all  its  meretricious  beauty.  He  could  hardly 
restrain  himself  as  he  looked,  for  he  knew  that,  but  for 
that  inseparable  barrier,  he  should  have  had  the  right 
to  kiss  that  face,  and  to  call  Madeline  Rayne  his  wife. 

'  What  do  you  suppose  shall  be  the  upshot  of  all  this, 
Madeline?  Do  you  think  it'll  make  a  complete  earth- 
quake in  the  house  ?  You  see,  Janie  will  be  even  more 
undesirable  in  the  governor's  eyes  than  Lucy  Meredith.' 

'  It  seems  to  me,  Herbert,  that  you  are  more  con- 
cerned about  what  is  to  happen  to  you  than  about  doing 
right  in  this  matter,'  said  Madeline  wearily.  '  I  shall 
tell  you  what  I  think — that  if  your  father  were  to  cut 
you  off  with  a  shilling,  as  the  saying  goes,  it  would  be 
the  making  of  you.  Your  life  has  been  too  easy  hitherto. 
A  little  hardship  would  do  you  good.' 

They  walked  in  silence  then  back  to  the  house.  On 
the  steps  Madeline  turned  and  laid  her  hand  on  his 
arm.  Her  face  was  very  earnest  as  she  uplifted  it  to 
his — very  earnest,  and  very  sad. 

'  Herbert,  "God  will  help  you,  even  yet,  to  live  a 
noble  life.  You  have  had  many  mistakes ;  let  this  be 
the  last  willingly  made.  Come  out  of  this  ordeal  as  a 
man,  and  let  me  be  proud  of  my  friend.' 

Her  words  went  quick  to  the  young  man's  impulsive 
heart. 

'  God   bless  you,  Madeline   Rayne,'  he  said  warmly  ; 


164  HAZELL  &•  SOWS. 

'  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  I  would  not  dare  for 
your  sake.' 

'  Not  for  my  sake ;  for  the  sake  of  what  is  good  and 
right,  and  for  her  sake  who  has  loved  you  well  enough 
to  become  your  wife.  We  must  be  very  kind  and 
loving  to  her,  Herbert :  that  is  our  first  duty.' 

So  she  left  him,  and  stole  away  up-stairs  past  the 
drawing-room,  where  Mary  was  singing  the  evening 
hymn  quietly  to  herself — 

'  I  need  Thy  presence  every  passing  hour — 
What  but  Thy  grace  can  foil  the  tempter's  power  T 
Who  like  Thyself  my  guide  and  stay  can  be  ? 
Through  cloud  and  sunshine,  0  abide  with  me  ! ' 

Madeline  Eayne  pressed  her  hand  to  her  throbbing 
heart,  and  her  lips  quivered  as  she  repeated  the  words 
quickly  and  falteringly  to  herself.  She  did  not  wait  a 
moment  in  her  own  room — only  hung  up  her  hat  and 
wrap  and  hurried  down- stairs.  She  was  surprised  to 
find  Mary  alone  in  the  drawing-room,  and  to  see  by  the 
clock  that  it  was  ten  minutes  to  eleven. 

'  Mamma  has  gone  to  bed,  Lena,  and  papa  is  in  the 
library.  You  know  Robert  is  not  to  be  home  to-night. 
Will  you  have  anything  to  eat  ? '  said  Mary,  jumping  up. 

'  No,  thank  you.' 

As  Madeline  softly  closed  the  door  she  heard  the 
opening  and  shutting  of  a  door  down-stairs.  Herbert 
had  gone  straight  to  the  library.  Mary  cast  a  keen 
glance  at  her  friend  as  she  advanced  into  the  room,  but 
was  disappointed  at  the  expressionless  face  of  Lena 
Rayne.  It  was  colourless  and  tired,  but  there  was  no 
flush,  no  brightening  eye,  nothing  to  tell  of  anything 
but  extreme  weariness. 


A  TRYING  HOUR.  165 

'  How  utterly  forlorn  you  look !  Are  you  cold, 
dear?  Come  to  mamma's  chair.  You  have  stayed 
star-gazing  too  long.' 

'  Have  I  ?  I  am  not  cold.  Sit  down  beside  me 
here,  Mary,  quite  close,  and  let  us  talk.  This  is  how 
we  used  to  sit  at  school.' 

Mary  had  flung  herself  down  on  a  cushion  on  the 
rug,  and  laid  her  head  on  Lena's  knee.  Her  soft,  large 
eyes  were  uplifted  to  her  friend's  sweet  face,  and  there 
was  a  silent  questioning  in  their  depths. 

'  Well,  had  you  a  pleasant  walk  ? '  Mary  asked,  with 
the  very  slightest  twinkle  in  her  eye. 

'  We  did  not  walk ;  we  stood  most  of  the  time,'  said 
Lena,  laying  her  soft  hand  on  Mary's  bright  head. 

Oh,  her  heart  went  out  to  her !  She  could  rely  for 
ever  on  Mary's  faithful  love.  But  once  more  she  must 
forget  herself  and  do  her  best  to  smooth  a  thorny  way 
for  another.  She  knew  that  Mary  had  a  certain  pride 
of  her  own  which  would  receive  a  blow  to-night 

'  I  have  a  surprise  for  you,  Mary.' 

'  Yes  !  I  hoped  so,  and  yet  not  quite  a  surprise. 
It  is  what  I  have  been  looking  for,'  Mary  answered, 
with  a  most  beautiful  smile. 

'I  think  not,  dear,  and  I  am  afraid  this  surprise 
will  not  be  quite  pleasant.  It  concerns  your  brother 
Herbert' 

'  And  you,  eh  ? '  said  Mary  saucily.  '  Come,  I  am 
quite  ready  to  be  father  confessor.' 

'  No,  it  does  not  concern  me,  Mary.  I  .cannot  beat 
about  the  bush.  You  are  to  have  a  new  sister,  Mary.' 

'  Yes,  my  darling,  the  sister  I  have  so  long  loved,' 
said  Mary,  and  her  arm  stole  round  Madeline's  waist 


1 66  HAZELL  &•  SOWS. 

'  No,  no ! '  Madeline  withdrew  herself  almost  rudely, 
but,  remember,  she  had  something  to  bear.  'No,  no, 
you  have  made  a  great  mistake,  Mary.  I  shall  always 
be  your  dear  friend.  If  there  is  any  little  disappoint- 
ment in  your  heart,  Mary,  you  will  not  visit  it  .on  her.' 

'On  whom?' 

Mary  drew  herself  back,  and  her  eyes  even  flashed. 

'  On  the  girl  who  is  to  be  your  sister.  Can  you  not 
guess  ? ' 

'  Not  that  odious  girl  at  Mileswood.  Oh,  surely 
Herbert  has  never  been  so  imprudent  as  to  speak  or 
think  seriously  of  her.' 

'  Yes,  he  has,'  said  Madeline  softly,  and  she  laid  her 
hand  again  on  Mary's  head  as  if  to  still  the  tumult. 
'  And  you  are  going  to  be  to  her  what  you  have  been 
to  me,  dearest,  truest  sister  and  friend,  Mary.  Don't 
be  bitter,  for  I  won't  listen.  You  must  do  it  all,  Mary.' 

'  Why  must  I  ? '  Mary  would  have  risen,  but  for 
Lena's  gentle  detaining  hand.  '  Did  he  keep  you  out 
there  to  tell  you  he  was  in  love  with  Jane  Gregory  ? ' 

'  Yes,  and  something  more.  They  are  married,  Mary, 
and  have  been  for  two  months.' 

'  Married ! ' 

That  was  all  Mary  said.  She  looked  straight  at 
Madeline  for  a  moment,  then  dropped  her  eyes,  and  for 
a  long  time  not  another  word  was  spoken.  She  caught 
Lena's  hand,  and,  pressing  her  hot  cheek  against  it,  held 
it  there  for  a  long  time.  These  two  understood  each 
other ;  and  when  they  rose  at  last,  Mary  had  forgiven 
Jane  Gregory  for  Madeline's  sake. 


' ' 


Paye  166. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


AT   DAGGERS   DRAWN. 

J HEN  Herbert  Hazell  went  into  the  library  that 
night,  he  found  his  father  fast  asleep  in  his 
chair.  The  flushed  face  and  heavy  breath- 
ing told  what  had  caused  that  sleep,  even 
had  the  door  of  the  cabinet  not  revealed  the  secret 
store.  He  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  tried  to 
awaken  his  father.  It  was  not  an  easy  task;  the 
sleep  of  intoxication  is  more  like  a  stupor  than  a 
natural  slumber. 

'  Hey,  what  is  it  ?  It  can't  be  morning  already/ 
said  the  old  man,  at  length  opening  his  half-dazed  eyes. 
'  That  you,  Ford  ?  Ay,  keep  down  the  expenses.  The 
lads  must  be  taught  to  work  before  they  spend.  Holloa ! 
it's  you,  Herbert.  What  do  you  want?'  he  asked, 
sitting  up,  as  he  gradually  awakened. 

'I  wanted  to  speak  to  you,  father.' 

'Ay,  what  about?  Money,  I  suppose  —  always 
money.  I  can't  give  you  any.  Ask  Ford.  He  knows 
all  about  it.  He  says  we  can't  afford  to  let  Bob  have 
the  Priory.  Something  less  will  need  to  do  him. 

Mff 


1 68  HAZELL  &  SOtfS. 

They'd  eat  me  out  of  house  and  home,  he  says,  and 
he's  right.  He's  a  shrewd  chap,  Ford.  You  hate  him 
because  he  clips  your  wings.  But  he'll  keep  the  old 
man  right — ay,  ay.' 

A  maudlin  smile  overspread  the  brewer's  florid  face, 
and  his  head  began  to  droop  again  on  his  breast. 
Herbert  looked  on  in  pity  and  amazement.  He  had 
really  no  idea  that  his  father  ever  indulged  too  freely. 
He  had  thought  lightly  of  the  sin  of  drunkenness,  but 
it  was  a  different  matter  to  have  it  brought  home  in 
this  fashion.  Involuntarily  he  stepped  back,  shut  the 
cabinet,  and  then  turned  the  key  in  the  library  door. 
He  felt  that  it  would  be  a  bitter  humiliation  to  have 
any  of  the  servants  see  the  master  in  such  a  state.  He 
hesitated  then,  not  knowing  what  to  do.  He  thought 
of  Mrs.  Hazell,  of  Mary,  and  of  Madeline.  He  would 
keep  it  from  them  all  if  he  could. 

Mr.  Hazell  was  not  asleep,  at  least  he  kept  mutter- 
ing to  himself,  and  his  eyes  were  partially  open.  He 
was  helplessly  drunk. 

Herbert  sat  down  by  the  fire,  wondering  what  to  do. 
If  only  Robert  were  at  home,  he  thought.  Eobert  was 
never  at  a  loss  in  any  emergency.  He  did  not  know 
how  long  he  sat  in  silence  watching  his  father's  troubled 
sleep,  but  at  last  the  opening  of  a  door  up-stairs  roused 
him.  He  rose,  and  went  out  into  the  hall,  and  met 
Madeline  Rayne  at  the  foot  of  the  stair. 

'  Well  ? '  she*  said,  and  a  tremulous  smile  touched  her 
lips.  But  he  saw  that  she  had  been  weeping. 

'  Where's  Mary  ? '  he  asked. 

'  Just  gone  up-stairs.     I  came  down  for  my  book  ;  1 


He  ...  met  Madeline  Rayne  at  the  foot  of  the  stair.—  Paijt  1G8. 


AT  DAGGERS  DRA  WN.  169 

want  to  finish  it  before  I  sleep.     It  is  Heine's  poems. 
Will  you  bring  it  out  of  the  library  for  me  ? ' 

For  answer  Herbert  stepped  back  to  the  library  door 
and  turned  the  key,  then  motioned  her  to  the  dining- 
room. 

'  It  seems  as   if  you  were  made   to  help  in  every 
trouble,'   he   said,  with   visible   agitation.     '  My  father 
has  had  too    much   wine.       He   is  not  fit  to  go  up 
stairs.     I  wonder  if  Mrs.  Hazell  is  asleep  ? ' 

'  I  can  go  up  and  see.  She  generally  sleeps  very 
soundly  in  the  early  part  of  the  night.  What  is  Mr. 
Hazell  doing  ? ' 

'  He  is  dozing  in  his  chair.  If  Mrs.  Hazell  is  asleep, 
and  would  not  be  alarming  herself  about  him,  I  would 
get  him  to  lie  down  on  the  library  couch.  Wouldn't 
that  be  best  ? ' 

'  Yes ;  I'll  run  up-stairs.' 

She  was  gone  as  she  spoke.  With  noiseless  step  she 
crept  into  Mrs.  Hazell's  room,  and  over  to  the  bed 
Yes,  she  was  sound  asleep,  and  there  was  a  sweet  smile 
on  her  face,  as  if  pleasant  dreams  haunted  her. 

Very  softly  Madeline  closed  the  door  and  ran  down- 
stairs again. 

'  It  would  be  a  pity  to  awake  her,  she  is  sleeping  so 
sweetly.  I  think  you  should  try  and  get  Mr.  Hazell  to 
lie  down  in  the  library.' 

She  spoke  decidedly.  Like  Robert,  she  had  always 
her  wits  about  her  in  an  emergency. 

'  Very  well,  I  will  do  that ;  and  if  he  sleeps  till 
morning  the  servants  will  think  he  never  awakened  in 
the  night.  We  need  not  tell.  A  little  deception  is 

12 


ryo  HAZELL  &  SOJVS. 

sometimes  justifiable.  What  a  queer  household  we  are  ! 
There  is  nothing  hid  from  you,  Madeline.  Do  you  not 
despise  us  ? ' 

Madeline  shook  her  head ;  she  did  not  say  what  she 
thought  and  felt — that  she  loved  them  all,  perhaps,  too 
well: 

'  Did  you  tell  Mary,  then  ? '  Herbert  asked. 

'  Yes,  I  told  Mary.  She  will  be  your  friend  and 
your  wife's,  Herbert.  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  Mary 
always  says  and  does  just  what  is  truest  and  best ! ' 

'  Yes,  she  is  a  good  girl.  I  am  not  worthy  such  a 
sister  and  such  a  friend.  When  I  think  of  what  might 
have  been  I  am  unmanned.' 

She  waved  her  hand  deprecatingly.  Of  what  avail 
were  such  words  now  ?  She  felt  that  they  were  not 
loyal  to  the  absent  wife,  and  yet  she  could  iiot  stem 
them.  She  was  very  tired,  and  her  heart  riven  with  its 
own  pain.  '  Good-night,'  she  said  almost  in  a  whisper, 
and  glided  from  the  room.  She  was  yearning  to  be 
alone,  but  it  seemed  as  if  solitude  were  to  be  denied 
her,  for  Mary,  with  her  dressing-gown  on,  was  waiting 
anxiously  at  the  top  of  the  stairs. 

'  What  an  age  you  have  been,  Lena.  What  have  you 
been  doing  ? ' 

'  Talking  to  Herbert  for  a  moment.  I  am  tired, 
Mary ;  I  think  I  shall  go  to  bed.  Will  you  say  good- 
night ? ' 

'  Poor  Lena.  I  am  very  selfish,  but  I  want  to  talk 
yet.  There  is  something  I  want  to  say  before  I  sleep. 
Let  me  come  to  your  room  just  for  a  moment.  The 
fire  is  out  in  mine.  If  I  were  the  least  inclined  to 


A T  DAGGERS  DRA  WN.  \ 7 i 

jealousy,  Lena,  I  should  be  jealous  of  the  attention  the 
servants  pay  to  you.' 

'  Come  then/  Madeline  answered,  with  a  smile. 

Mary  did  not  sit  down  when  they  entered  the  room. 
She  had  her  hair-brush  in  "her  hand,  and  began  to 
brush  out  her  hair  before  the  mirror,  with  her  back  to 
her  friend. 

'  Well,  what  is  it  you  have  to  say  yet  ? '  asked 
Madeline  at  length.  '  I  am  sure  your  hair  does  not 
need  so  much  brushing.' 

'  Perhaps  not,'  said  Mary  absently.  '  Lena,  can  you 
explain  to  me  why  Michael  Ford  should  presume  to 
propose  to  ma' 

'  Has  he  done  so  ? ' 

'  Well,  he  was  very  near  it  to-night,  but  I  nipped 
him  in  the  bud.  He  was  not  in  the  least  disconcerted, 
Lena.  It  was  the  way  he  talked  which  I  can't  forget 
— one  would  have  thought  that  the  brewery  was  his 
instead  of  papa's.  Do  you  think  there  is  anything  in 
him  except  conceit  and  presumption  ? ' 

'  Yes,  a  good  deal  He  is  not  to  be  trusted,  Mary, 
since  you  ask  me  for  a  plain  opinion.' 

'  What  do  you  think  I  should  do  ? ' 

'  Tell  your  brother  Eobert  about  it.' 

Mary  smiled. 

'  Ah  !  I  see  you  know  which  of  the  boys  is  to  be 
relied  on  in  the  day  of  trouble.  Do  you  know,  I  feel 
just  as  if  we  were  living  on  the  top  of  a  mine  which  may 
explode  about  us  any  day.  There  has  been  no  lack  of 
excitement  lately.  Do  you  know,  I  am  very  sorry  for 
that  poor  girl,  Lena.  I  shall  go  and  see  her  to-morrow.' 


T72  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  Herbert's  wife  ? ' 

'  Yes.  How  odd !  and  what  a  shame  to  think  that 
he  should  have  a  wife  unacknowledged  by  us !  I  have 
not  been  kind  often  in  speaking  about  her.  I  shall  try 
and  make  up  for  it  now.  Perhaps  it  will  not  be 
very  difficult  to  love  her.' 

'  There  is  something  lovable  in  every  one,  Mary,  and 
she  is  very  pretty.  You  are  very  good  and  kind,  my 
dear.' 

'Am  I?  You  don't  know  me.  I  am  full  of  pride. 
You  don't  know  the  trial  it  will  be  to  me  to  stop  my 
ponies  at  Mileswood  and  go  through  the  necessary  ordeal. 
It  will  cost  me  more  than  you  think  to  acknowledge  Mrs. 
Herbert  Hazell ;  but  it  will  do  me  good.  What  pitiful 
creatures  we  are,  Lena,  setting  ourselves  up  above  each 
other !  This  may  be  a  very  wholesome  lesson  to  me, 
Lena.' 

'  Perhaps.  But  I  cannot  say  I  think  you  needed  it, 
said  Madeline. 

'  Oh,  you  don't  know  me.  But  there,  I  must  have 
some  humanity,  and  let  you  to  bed.  Why,  how  worn 
out  you  look  !  We  forget  you,  my  darling,  in  our  selfish 
troubles.  Good-night ! ' 

She  took  the  white,  worn  face  in  her  hands  and 
kissed  it  with  peculiar  tenderness.  Perhaps  she  guessed 
something  of  the  heartache  underneath  that  sweet,  calm 
exterior,  but  Mary  Hazell  had  a  delicacy  too  fine  to  hint 
at  such  a  thing.  But  she  did  feel  that  her  brother  had 
not  done  fairly  by  Madeline  Kayne,  and  she  intended  to 
tell  him  so  when  the  fitting  opportunity  occurred. 

Madeline  Rayiie  sat  still  when  Mary  left  her — very 


A T  DAGGERS  DRA  WN.  1 7 3 

still — with  her  hands  clasped  on  her  knee,  and  her 
deep  eyes  fixed  on  the  dying  fira  Her  expression 
never  changed,  but  it  seemed  to  her  that  once  more 
she  had  to  set  aside  the  sunny  gleams  which  had  been 
shed  across  her  way  of  life,  and  take  up  the  sober  grey 
threads  which  were  evidently  destined  to  make  the  web 
of  her  existence.  A  helper  of  others ;  a  witness,  but 
not  a  partaker,  of  their  joys ;  a  sharer,  mayhap,  in  their 
sorrows ;  a  bearer  of  their  burdens  if  she  willed :  must 
that  be  her  destiny  on  earth  ?  Perhaps  her  woman's 
heart  failed  her  just  a  little,  and  yet  she  reproached 
herself  for  her  complaining  and  her  discontent. 

'  Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and  so  fulfil  the  law 
of  Christ/  To  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ!  Could  she 
desire  any  higher  aim  in  life  ?  With  these  words  ring- 
ing their  changes  in  her  ears,  she  fell  asleep. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  Mr.  Hazell  was  conspicuously 
irritable  next  morning.  He  explained  that  he  had 
fallen  asleep  in  the  library,  and  seemed  to  feel 
aggrieved  that  no  one  had  taken  the  trouble  to  arouse 
him.  He  seemed  quite  to  have  forgotten  all  about 
Herbert  coming  into  the  library  and  persuading  him 
to  lie  down. 

They  went  down  to  the  brewery  together.  Herbert 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  tell  his  father  his 
momentous  secret  in  the  course  of  the  day,  though  he 
saw  well  enough  that,  unless  the  master's  temper  was 
smoothed  and  softened,  things  were  likely  to  go  hard 
with  him. 

»  Robert  had  gone  to  Wigan  to  stay  the  night,  without 
giving  any  explanation  of  his  business  there ;  but  he 


174  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

arrived  at  the  brewery  before  eleven  o'clock.  He 
nodded  to  Herbert  as  he  passed  through  the  counting- 
house,  and  went  straight  into  his  father's  room. 

Mr.  Hazell,  suffering  from  a  racking  headache,  was 
in  one  of  his  worst  moods.  He  was  angry  with  Robert 
for  not  being  at  hand  to  attend  to  the  morning's  corre- 
spondence, and  turned  upon  him  like  a  lion. 

'  Well,  sir,  if  it  suits  you  to  come  to  business  at  mid- 
day, it  doesn't  suit  me,  and  the  sooner  you  learn  that 
the  better.  What  excuse  or  apology  have  you  to  make 
for  yourself  ? ' 

'  None,  father.  I  am  sorry  if  I  have  annoyed  you. 
I  don't  take  many  holidays.  I  can  still  have  the  letters 
ready  for  the  mail.  Let  me  look  at  them,'  said  Robert 
in  his  quiet  way,  as  he  advanced  to  the  table. 

But  Mr.  Hazell's  hand  closed  over  the  bundle  of 
letters  at  his  side. 

'  Ford  can  attend  to  them.  He  is  always  at  his  post. 
You  must  not  think  we  can't  dispense  with  your  valu- 
able services,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  with  a  sneer. 

Robert  bit  his  lip.  He  did  not  often  lose  his  temper, 
but  he  could  not  tolerate  the  very  name  of  Michael 
Ford. 

'  I  am  glad  you  think  so  little  of  my  services,'  he 
said,  with  a  lightness  he  was  far  from  feeling.  '  It 
makes  my  task  easier.  I  resign  my  post  in  the  brewery 
from  to-day,  though  it  is  not  very  easy  to  djfine  that 
post,  sir.' 

'  Oh,  you  do,  do  you  ?  Very  well ;  and  where  do 
you  suppose  you  are  going  to  get  a  living  now  ? ' 

'  That  is  my  concern,  and  I  cannot  expect  that  you 


AT  DA GGERS  DKA  WN.  1 7 5 

will  take  any  interest  in  my  welfare.  You  have  so 
repeatedly  repelled  any  confidence  I  offered  to  place  in 
you,'  said  Robert,  with  a  touch  of  sadness  in  his  manly 
face. 

'  Oh,  indeed  ! ' 

Mr.  Hazell  wheeled  round  in  his  chair,  and  turned 
his  angry  eyes  full  on  his  son's  face. 

'  Pray,  what  confidence  did  you  place  in  me  ?  You 
asked  me  for  an  extravagant  income,  which  I  refused. 
There  is  time  enough  yet  for  you  to  marry,  and  if  the 
girl  really  cares  about  you,  she'll  wait  for  you.  She'll 
need  to  wait  long  enough  now,  in  all  conscience.' 

'  You  are  mistaken,  sir.  We  intend  to  be  married 
before  Easter.' 

'Oh!1 

Mr.  Hazell  was  thunderstruck. 

'  I  have  applied  for  and  obtained  the  situation  of  cashier 
at  the  Ladywell  pits  at  Burnley.  I  went  to  Wigan 
last  night,  at  Mr.  Edwardes'  request,  and  he  has  ap- 
pointed me  to  the  vacant  place.' 

'  And  I  suppose  you  posed  before  Mr.  Edwardes  as 
an  injured  innocent,  persecuted  by  a  hard-hearted, 
tyrannical  father  ?  but ' — 

'  You  are  mistaken,  father.  I  told  him  nothing, 
except  that  I  wished  to  leave  the  brewery.' 

'  And  what  salary  are  you  to  get  ? ' 

'  Two  hundred  a  year,  and  the  house.  It  will  do  in 
the  meantime.' 

'  It's  a  downcome  from  the  Priory,'  said  Mr.  Hazell 
drily.  '  Well,  you'll  perhaps  learn  to  regret  your 
mercies  there.  It  is  just  as  they  say, — as  Ford  has 


r  76  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

often  said, — -a  man  toils  to  bring  up  a  family,  who 
give  him  only  ingratitude  in  return.  If  1  could  see 
Edwardes,  I'd  give  him  the  true  version  of  the  affair.' 

Robert  was  silent  a  moment.  There  was  something 
he  was  very  anxious  to  speak  about,  yet  he  hesitated. 
He  was  no  coward,  but  he  had  never  quite  overcome  his 
childish  fear  and  awe  of  his  father.  And  yet  he  felt  it 
his  duty  to  speak. 

'  I  hardly  know  how  to  word  what  I  am  going  to 
say,  I  feel  so  certain  you  will  misunderstand  me,'  he 
began.  '  But  I  do  think  Ford  has  more  influence  here 
than  any  servant  ought  to  have.  I  don't  trust  him. 
Father,  you  will  be  careful  with  him.  Don't  let  him 
know  your  affairs  too  intimately.' 

Mr.  Hazell's  lip  curled. 

'  Leave  me  to  manage  my  own  business,  if  you 
please ;  I  am  not  in  my  dotage,'  he  said  cuttingly.  '  I 
am  thankful  I  have  such  a  friend  and  counsellor  as 
Michael  Ford.  He'll  do  more  for  me  than  my  own 
flesh  and  blood.' 

'  Ay,  in  the  meantime,  but  it  is  to  serve  his  own 
ends,'  said  Eobert,  with  more  passion  than  he  usually 
exhibited.  '  I  see  what  he  is  aiming  at  well  enough. 
Do  you  know  that  he  is  actually  aspiring  to  Mary's 
hand,  father  ? ' 

'  And  why  not  ?  She  might  go  farther  and  fare 
worse.  A  good,  honest,  gentlemanly  fellow,  who  has 
brains  to  help  him  on.  I  tell  you,  Ford  '11  be  at  the 
top  of  the  tree  yet.' 

'Maybe,  but  it  will  be  at  your  expense,'  said  Robert 
hotly.  '  It  is  impossible  to  listen  to  you,  sir,  and  be 


A T  DAGGERS  DRA  WN.  1 7 7 

calm.  Give  our  Mary  to  that  ignorant,  self-conceited 
fellow  !  Oh,  surely,  sir,  you  will  stop  short  of  that ! ' 

'  I  wish  you'd  stop  short  of  impertinence,  and  get  out 
of  here,  since  you  have  resigned  your  post,'  said  Mr. 
Hazell  testily,  and  pointing  to  the  door  as  he  spoke. 
'  You've  had  your  say,  you've  tried  your  best  to  black- 
ball an  honest  fellow's  character,  and  you  haven't 
succeeded.  I  don't  think  any  more  of  you  for  it,  and 
you  can  tell  Miss  Meredith,  with  my  compliments,  that 
I  wish  her  joy  of  her  bargain.' 

It  was  Mr.  Hazell's  habit  often  to  speak  without 
thinking ;  in  moments  of  anger,  indeed,  he  was  hardly 
responsible ;  but  every  word  stabbed  his  son  to  the 
heart.  He  turned  on  his  heel  without  a  word,  and 
walked  through  the  counting.- house  with  his  eyes  on 
the  ground.  In  the  yard  outside  he  met  Michael  Ford, 
who  touched  his  hat  to  him  with  a  bland  smile. 

'  Fine  morning,  Mr.  Robert.  Hope  you  had  a  pleasant 
little  trip.' 

'  Get  out  of  my  sight,'  was  the  unexpected  reply  to 
Mr.  Ford's  friendly  greeting,  and  without  another  word 
Robert  Hazell  passed  out  of  the  gates  into  the  street 


CHAPTEK   XVII. 


GATHERING    CLOUDS. 


i  HAT'S  become  o'  Herbert  this  long  time, 
Janie  ?  He  hasn't  been  here,  I'm  sure, 
for  nigh  a  week.' 

Mrs.  Gregory  was  preparing  the  flour  for 
her  weekly  baking,  and  the  little  kitchen  at  Mileswood 
was  pleasantly  warm  with  the  heat  from  the  oven. 
Jane  was  sitting  on  a  low  chair  with  her  idle  hands 
folded  behind  her  head,  and  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  fire. 
Her  morning  dress  was  not  particularly  tidy,  and  she  had 
a  little  row  of  curl-papers  along  her  brow.  Her  face  was 
pale  and  sallow,  and  wore  a  discontented,  anxious  look. 

'  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  ina,'  was  all  she  answered  ; 
but  sbe  gave  the  cat  a  push  with  her  foot  as  if  the 
question  irritated  her. 

'  Your  pa's  got  worked  up,  Janie,  till  he's  real  mad,' 
continued  Mrs.  Gregory,  as  she  vigorously  mixed  her 
flour.  '  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  goes  up  to  Hazelwood 
himself.  It  was  a  mistake,  Janie,  and  I  wish  I'd  never 
let  you  go  to  your  Aunt  Susan's.  It  wouldn't  have 
happened  if  you'd  been  nt  home.' 

178 


GATHERING  CLOUDS.  179 

'  It  might  an'  it  might  not,'  answered  Janie  carelessly. 
'  But  pa  needn't  bother.  It's  no  business  of  his,  I 
suppose.  It's  me  that's  got  the  worst  of  it.' 

4  That  isn't  a  way  to  speak,  my  gel,'  said  Mrs.  Gregory 
severely.  '  You  know  you're  the  very  apple  o'  your 
father's  eye,  let  alone  mine,  an'you  might  have  done  better. 
There's  young  Higginbotham  was  quite  gone  about  you, 
not  to  speak  o'  Jonas  Butterby  at  the  Bell  Inn.  Perhaps 
they  aren't  fine  gentlemen,  but  they're  honest  chaps,  an' 
they  could  ha'  given  you  a  good  livin',  which  is  more  than 
the  one  you've  got  will  ever  be  able  to  do,  I  doubt,  if  folks 
is  to  judge  from  appearances.  The  old  man,  of  course, 
has  a  mint  o'  money,  but  will  keep  a  tight  hand  on  it, 
an'  there's  the  missus  '11  get  a  big  haul.  I  wish  it  had 
never  been,  Janie.  I  doubt  you'll  never  have  peace  o' 
mind  about  it.  There's  an  awful  pride  about  them 
Hazell's,  I  can  tell  you,  and  you'll  find  it  out  to  your  cost.' 

Janie  made  no  reply,  except  to  give  the  cat  another 
push,  which  sent  her  away  puffing  in  a  passion. 

'  It's  not  easy  for  a  mother  to  see  a  man  ashamed  o' 
her  daughter,  even  after  she's  an  honest  wife,'  continued 
Mrs.  Gregory  in  an  aggrieved  voice,  for  it  was  a  sore 
subject  with  her,  '  an'  her  might  ha'  done  so  well' 

'  I  wish  you'd  hold  your  tongue,  mother.  I  can'o 
help  it  now.  I  wish  I  could  recall  the  vows  I  said  in 
that  old  church  at  Crossthwaite.  It  seems  an  awful 
thing  that  so  little  should  bind  one  for  life.  I  suppose 
I  couldn't  get  out  o'  it  now  ? ' 

'  No.  worse  luck.  Your  father  made  sure  it  was  all 
ri^ht  whenever  he  knew  of  it.  That's  what  comes  o' 
di>in'  tilings  on  the  sly,  my  gel,  an'  without  asking  an 


i8o  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

advice.  I  suppose  he  rues  it  as  well  as  you.  I  can't 
for  the  life  o'  me  see  why  he  should  have  married  you 
at  all ;  or  what  difference  it  has  made.  'It's  put  an  end 
to  your  swectheartin',  that's  all.  If  he  cared  anything 
about  .you,  Janie,  he'd  be  as  anxious  to  have  you  aside 
o'  him  as  other  men  are.  He'd  never  ha'  rested  till  he 
got  you  a  home  all  fair  an'  square.' 

Jane  Gregory  clenched  her  hand  on  her  knee,  and  one 
bitter  tear  started  to  her  eye.  That  was  the  hardest  of 
it  all.  She  could  have  borne  inattention,  neglect  even, 
if  she  had  not  been  haunted  with  the  thought  that,  if 
Herbert  Hazell  had  ever  cared  for  her,  his  love  had 
died.  He  was  her  husband,  and  yet  she  scarcely  dared 
think  of  him  as  such.  The  name,  so  dear  to  happy  and 
cherished  wives,  had  no  meaning  for  her. 

'  An'  what's  to  be  the  upshot  o'  it  ? '  asked  Mrs. 
Gregory  in  the  same  aggrieved  voice.  '  How  long  is 
this  to  go  on  ?  I  wish  you'd  tidy  up  a  bit,  an'  do 
summat  for  your  meat,  Janie.  It's  not  nice  to  see  a 
young  girl  so  lazy  and  indifferent.' 

'  I  wish  you'd  leave  me  alone.  I  wish  I'd  never  been 
born,'  retorted  Janie  quickly  and  passionately. 

Just  then  Patty,  the  little  '  help,'  who  had  been  washing 
the  front  door  steps,  came  rushing  in  excitedly,  and  an- 
nounced that  there  was  a  real  carriage  at  the  gate  and 
that  Miss  Hazell  was  coining  up  the  garden. 

Janie  jumped  up,  all  her  listlessness  gone,  and  Mrs. 
Gregory  instantly  flew  into  a  terrible  flutter,  and 
tossed  off  her  baking  apron.  '  I'll  take  her  into  the 
parlour  an'  set  a  match  to  the  fire  while  you  make 
yourself  decent.  It's  you  she'll  be  wanting  to  see,  likely.' 


GATHERING  CLOUDS.  181 

'No,  mother,  wait  here.  Now,  Patty,  there  she's 
knocking.  Go  to  the  door,  and  if  she  asks  for  mother 
or  me,  take  her  into  the  parlour  and  set  a  match  to  the 
tire.  And  mind  to  shut  the  parlour  door  after  you  when 
you  come  out,  so  as  I'll  get  up-stairs  to  change  my  dress,' 
said  Janie  quietly.  '  Do  you  understand  me  ?  don't 
forget  a  thing  I  have  told  you.  See,  take  off  that  dirty 
apron.  Now,  off  you  go.' 

Patty,  quite  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  her  own 
importance,  proceeded  out  to  the  lobby  again,  and  Jane 
Gregory  stationed  herself  behind  the  kitchen  door,  which 
was  a  little  ajar,  so  that  she  could  hear  what  passed  at 
the  front  door. 

Patty  delivered  her  message  quite  correctly,  and,  when 
Miss  Hazell  asked  for  Miss  Gregory,  ushered  her  straight 
into  the  parlour. 

'  I'd  better  go  in,  Janie,'  said  Mrs.  Gregory  in  a  loud 
whisper.  '  I'm  quite  decent.  It's  a  shocking  shame  to 
leave  the  young  lady  by  herself  till  you  get  ready,  and 
very  ill-bred  as  well.' 

'  Don't  go,  mother,  if  you  please,'  said  Janie  so  earnestly 
that  her  mother  could  not  deny  her.  '  I  won't  be  a 
minute.  I'll  just  take  out  my  hair,  and  put  on  an 
apron,  without  changing  my  frock  at  all.' 

It  was  not  very  easy  for  Mrs.  Gregory  to  keep 
away  from  the  room  where  Miss  Hazell  was,  but  she 
saw  that  Janie  was  very  anxious  to  meet  Miss  Hazell 
alone,  so  she  contented  herself  with  an  admiring  peep 
through  the  glass  door  at  the  brougham  waiting  outside 
the  gate,  and  then  betook  herself  up-stairs  to  Janie's  room. 

'  Now,  whatever  you  do,  don't  let  her  trample  on  you. 


1 82  HAZELL  <5r*  SONS. 

Remember,  she's  your  own  sister-in-law,  an'  that  you're 
as  good  as  she/  said  Mrs.  Gregory,  seating  herself  on  a 
trunk,  and  speaking  with  energy.  '  I  really  wish  you'd 
let  me  come  in.  I'd  set  her  right  about  that  in  two 
minutes.' 

'  It's  because  I'm  afraid  you'll  say  too  much  I  don't 
want  you  to  go  in,'  answered  Janie,  as  she  deftly 
arranged  her  hair.  '  Perhaps  she  doesn't  know  anything 
about  it,  and,  if  she  doesn't,  I  won't  tell  her.  I'll  maybe 
come  out  for  you  after  I  see  what  she  wants.' 

Jane  Gregory  was  very  much  excited.  There  was  a 
red  spot  on  her  cheek,  and  her  hands  trembled  as  she 
fastened  on  her  apron.  She  did  not  know  what  this 
visit  might  portend,  and  she  shook  with  nervous  appre- 
hension when  she  went  down-stairs  to  the  parlour. 

The  door  was  close,  but  not  shut,  so  that  she  entered 
noiselessly.  Mary  Hazell  was  standing  at  the  window 
with  her  back  to  the  door.  In  spite  of  the  intense 
feeling  of  the  moment,  Jane  Gregory  noted  the  graceful 
outline  of  her  figure,  the  exquisite  draping  of  her  tailor- 
made  gown,  the  perfect  fit  of  the  little  sealskin  jacket. 
Everything  was  plain  to  severity,  but  most  ladylike  and 
becoming.  Mary  Hazell  had  a  perfect  taste  in  dress. 

'  You  wish  to  see  me,  Miss  Hazell,'  she  said  timidly. 
Indeed,  her  voice  sank  almost  to  a  whisper. 

Instantly  Mary  turned  round,  and  advanced  with 
extended  hand.  '  Yes,  I  wish  to  see  you,  my  brother's 
wife.  Had  I  known,  I  should  have  come  long  ago.' 

Mary  spoke  a  trifle  quickly,  for  she  felt  the  ordeal 
keenly;  but  her  eyes  were  kind,  the  pressure  of  her  hand 
firm  and  true.  The  greeting  was  so  unexpected  that 


GATHERING  CLOUDS.  183 

Jane  Gregory  burst  into  tears.  Mary  drew  her  gently 
to  the  sofa,  and  made  her  sit  down.  She  felt  nervous 
herself,  and  very  sorry  for  the  trirl. 

'  Don't  be  so  distressed,'  she  said  in  her  kind  way, 
and  she  laid  her  hand  on  her  shoulder. 

'  I'm  very  sorry ! '  sobbed  Jane  Gregory.  '  I  ought 
never  to  have  done  it ;  but  I  didn't  think.  You  shouldn't 
be  so  kind  to  me.' 

'  Why  not  ? '  Mary  smiled  as  she  asked  the  question. 
'  It  is  we  who  have  been  unkind  to  you.  But  it  will  be 
all  right  now.' 

1  Do  they  all  know  at  Hazelwood  ?  I  «lid  not  know 
Herbert  meant  to  tell.' 

'  Mamma  knows.  She  sent  her  love  to  you,  and  she 
will  come  to  see  you  when  she  is  able  if  you  do  not 
come  first  to  see  her,'  said  Mary  cheerfully. 

'  What  did  Mr.  Hazell  say  ?     Was  he  very  angry  ? ' 

'  He  doesn't  know  yet,  but  he  will  to-day,'  paid  Mary 
quickly.  '  He  may  be  a  little  angry,  but  it  will  soon 
pass.  But  tell  me  why  you  didn't  marry  in  the  ordinary 
way.  Was  there  any  use  for  all  this  secresy  ? ' 

Jane  Gregory  hung  her  head.  She  felt  ashamed 
before  Mary  Hazell's  calm,  serene  eyes. 

'  I  don't  know.  I  wouldn't  do  it  again.  How  can 
you  speak  so  kindly  to  me  when  I  have  behaved  so 
badly  to  you  ?  1  know  I  am  not  so  good  as  you,  nor 
fit  to  be  friends  with  you.' 

How  quickly  did  Jane  Gregory's  pride  and  boastful 
independence  melt  away  before  Mary  Hazell's  smile. 
She  could  have  knelt  and  kissed  her  feet,  she  was  so 
grateful  foi  her  kind,  sweet,  womanly  words. 


1 84  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

'  Oh,  hush  I  of  course  we  are  going  to  be  very 
friendly.  You  and  Herbert  must  set  up  house  at  once, 
and  what  fun  it  will  be  furnishing  and  setting  it  in 
order !  I  hope  you  are  a  trifle  more  practical  than 
either  he  or  I,  or  the  result  will  be  rather  doubtful.' 

'  How  different  you  are  from  what  I  thought ! ' 
exclaimed  Jane  Gregory,  or  Jane  Hazell,  as  we  must 
now  call  her. 

'  Different — how  ? ' 

'  Oh,  just.  I  used  to  think  you  so  proud  and 
haughty  when  I  saw  you  driving  past.  I  was  jealoup 
of  you,  and  afraid  of  you  too.' 

'  Afraid  of  me !  I  am  very  harmless,'  said  Mary, 
with  a  laugh.  '  But  I  am  not  nearly  so  good  as  you 
think,  as  you  will  soon  find  out,  if  Herbert  has  not  told 
you  already.' 

'  He  didn't  speak  much  about  you.  He  hated  me 
asking  questions  about  Hazelwood,  and  I  couldn't  help 
being  interested,  you  know.  Will  it  not  be  a  great  trial 
for  you  all  to  havj  everybody  know  I  am  his  wife  ? ' 

'  Oh  no  !  Why  should  we  be  ashamed  of  you  ?  1 
hope  Herbert  will  be  good  to  you,  my  dear,  and  that 
you  will  be  very  happy,'  said  Mary,  as  she  rose. 

'  Won't  you  see  ma  ?  She'll  be  dreadfully  dis- 
appointed if  you  don't  speak  to  her.  She's  been  awful 
angry  with  me  about  it,  and  so  has  father.' 

Mary  would  rather  have  excused  herself,  but  perhaps 
she  had  better  go  through  the  whole  ordeal  at  once ;  so 
Mrs.  Gregory  was  summoned  to  the  parlour.  She  had 
been  concocting  quite  an  eloquent  speech  for  Miss 
Hazell's  benefit,  but  somehow  i'j  vanished  clean  out  of 


GATHERING  CLOUDS.  185 

her  memory  at  sight  of  Mary's  sweet  face  and  kind 
smile.  And  all  that  the  good  mother  could  do  was  to 
clasp  the  dainty  gloved  hand  in  both  her  own,  and 
repeat,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  that  she  was  proud  and 
glad  to  see  her. 

So  the  ordeal  passed  off  better  than  any  of  them 
had  anticipated,  and  Mary  left  the  house  leaving 
sunshine  behind  her.  Just  as  she  was  about  to  step 
into  the  brougham,  she  saw  Robert  in  the  distance 
walking  quickly  up  the  river-side  from  the  town.  She 
told  the  man  to  wait,  and  walked  on  to  meet  him.  It 
was  so  unusual  for  Robert  to  be  without  the  precincts 
of  the  brewery  in  business  hours  that  she  felt  curious 
to  learn  the  cause.  When  she  came  near  him,  she  saw 
that  his  face  wore  an  unusually  anxious  and  troubled  look. 

'  I  could  hardly  believe  that  it  was  you,  Robert. 
Are  you  going  home  ? '  she  said,  when  she  joined  him. 

'  No,  I'm  going  to  Clieveden.' 

'  Across  the  moor  ? ' 

'Yes.  Couldn't  you  send  Pillans  home,  and  walk 
with  me  a  bit.' 

'  Yes,  I  can.' 

'  What  were  you  doing  in  at  Gregory's  ? ' 

'  Seeing  Jane,'  said  Mary,  and  suddenly  her  eyes 
overflowed.  '  Oh,  Robert,  such  a  thing  has  happened ! 
We  seem  to  be  all  going  wrong.  Herbert  has  been 
married  to  her  for  more  than  three  months.' 

'  Married  to  whom  ? ' 

'  Jane  Gregory.' 

'  Impossible ! ' 

'Quite  true.  Oh,  Pillans,  just  go  into  town,  and 

13 


1 86  HAZELL  &•  SONS. 

give  Mrs.  Hazell's  orders  without  me.  Perhaps  I  shall 
get  you  coming  back.' 

Pillans  touched  his  hat,  and  drove  away.  He  was 
puzzling  himself  over  his  young  mistress's  call  at  Miles- 
wood.  Of  course  he  had  not  a  suspicion  of  the  truth. 

Arm  in  arm  the  brother  and  sister  turned  round  by 
Gregory's  garden  wall,  and  over  the  stile  into  the  moor. 
It  was  a  fine  winter  morning.  The  hoar-frost  still 
shone  on  the  short  smooth  turf,  though  the  sun  had 
melted  the  scattering  on  the  leafless  trees. 

'Yes,  we're  all  going  wrong,  Molly,'  said  Eobert 
Hazell,  with  a  sigh,  as  if  the  thing  weighed  on  his  heart. 
'  Herbert  married  to  Jane  Gregory  !  Oh,  impossible  ! ' 

'  It's  quite  true.  He  told  Madeline  last  night.  He 
is  to  tell  papa  to-day.' 

'  I  thought,  and  was  hoping,  he  was  learning  to  care 
for  Madeline,  Molly.' 

'  So  was  I.  Oh,  it  would  have  been  splendid.  But 
I  am  sorry  for  the  girl.' 

'  So  you  went  to  see  her  whenever  you  found  it  out. 
Bless  your  kind  heart,  Molly !  Papa  will  not  be 
pleased  about  it.' 

'I  am  afraid  not.  Don't  you  think, Eobert,  that  papa  has 
changed  very  much  of  late.  He  was  notalwayssoirritable.' 

'  He  has  changed.  It  has  come  to  an  open  rupture 
between  us.  I  have  spent  my  last  day  in  the  brewery, 
Mary.' 

Mary  never  spoke,  but  her  lips  trembled.  '  I  was 
at  Wigan  last  night  seeing  Mr.  Edwardes,  and  I  have 
accepted  the  situation  of  cashier  at  the  Lady  well  Mines 
at  a  salary  of  two  hundred  a  year  and  a  house.' 


GATHERING  CLOUDS.  187 

And  you  will  go  away  to  Burnley  to  live,  I  suppose.' 

'  Yes,  Lucy  and  I  together.  We  shall  be  married 
before  Easter.' 

'  You  will  be  very  happy,  happier  even,  I  think,  than 
you  would  have  been  at  the  Priory,  because  your 
conscience  will  be  clear.  It  is  we  who  are  left  who 
will  miss  you.' 

'  I  hope  papa  will  not  hinder  you  from  coming  to  see 
us  at  Burnley.' 

'  Oh,  1  hope  not ;  surely  not.  Herbert  will  have  to 
leave  the  house  too,  and  set  up  a  home  for  his  wife. 
How  changed  Hazelwood  will  be  ! ' 

'  You  will  not  leave  it  for  a  while,  Mary  ? ' 

'  I  !  Oh,  never.  Madeline  and  I  will  be  stationary 
there  for  ever,'  said  Mary  lightly.  '  I  hope  this  will 
make  no  difference  to  her.  Herbert  has  not  acted  very 
fairly  by  her.' 

'  No,  he  hasn't.  His  conduct  has  neither  been  manly 
nor  right.  He  was  true  neither  to  one  nor  another. 
He  is  deplorably  weak,  Mary.  He  needs  a  woman  like 
Miss  Rayne  to  make  something  of  him.  What  kind  of 
person  is  his  wife  ? ' 

'  I  hardly  know.     I  only  saw  her  for  a  few  minutes.' 

There  was  a  moment's  silence. 

'  Mary,  do  you  think  father  takes  too  much  sometimes?' 

'  I  have  been  afraid  of  it,'  Mary  answered  in  a  low 
voice,  as  if  she  felt  ashamed  to  own  it. 

'  Mrs.  Hazell  does  not  suspect  it  ? ' 

'  T  don't  think  it.     It  would  grieve  her  very  much.' 

'  You  might  watch,  Mary.' 

'  I'll  try.' 


1 88  HAZELL  fr  SOWS. 

'  There  is  another  thing.  I  hate  to  speak  of  it  to 
you,  dear,  but  it  will  ease  my  mind.  I  have  suspected 
what  brings  Ford  so  much  to  the  house.  You  don't 
encourage  him,  Mary  ? ' 

'I?' 

Mary's  face  flushed  with  indignation. 

'  It  is  wrong  to  hate  any  one,  Robert,  but  I  do  hate 
him.  It  makes  me  ill  to  have  him  talk  to  me.' 

'  Has  he  ever  hinted  anything  to  you  ? ' 

'  Yes,  last  night,  when  we  were  walking  home  from 
the  mothers'  meeting.  I  endured  him  only  for  Madeline 
and  Herbert's  sake.  Had  I  known  what  I  know  now, 
I  should  have  acted  differently.  But  I  think  I  have 
given  Mr.  Ford  his  lesson.' 

'He  has  too  much  influence  with  father.  I  don't 
know  whether  I  am  doing  right  to  leave  the  brewery. 
I  was  a  kind  of  check  on  Ford.  I  am  confident  that 
it  is  Ford  who  has  put  my  father  so  much  against  us. 
But  father  is  very  obstinate.  It  is  not  easy  to  have 
the  patience  with  him  that  one  ought.  Won't  you 
come  all  the  way  to  Clieveden  ? ' 

*  Not  to-day.  Give  Lucy  my  love.  You  will  be 
home  1.3  usual  to  dinner  ? ' 

'  Oh  yes !  Surely  my  father  won't  grudge  me 
house-room  for  a  day  or  two  in  spite  of  his  anger. 
Good-morning,  dear.' 

'  Good-morning.' 

They  were  beyond  the  reach  of  any  observant  eye,  so 
they  kissed  each  other  as  they  parted.  Mary  retraced 
her  steps  with  a  heavy  heart. 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 


HUSBAND    AND     WIFE. 

HERBERT  HAZELL  was  sitting  at  the 
parlour  window  that  afternoon  about  four 
o'clock.  She  was  looking  her  best.  Miss 
Hazell's  visit  had  infused  new  life  into  her, 
and  she  felt  she  had  something  to  live  for.  She  had 
the  good  opinion  of  her  husband's  kindred  to  earn,  and 
she  told  herself  that  she  would  spare  no  pains  to  com- 
mend herself  to  them.  She  was  pleased  and  happy  as 
she  sat  there  sewing  busily,  and  watching  for  Herbert 
to  pass.  Her  face  looked  sweet  and  tender  as  if  none 
but  happy  thoughts  reigned  in  her  heart  She  had  a 
more  womanly  ambition  than  of  yore,  an  ambition  to  be 
a  good,  true  wife,  a  great  desire  to  be  more  like  Mary 
HazelL  It  was  just  four,  when,  lifting  her  head  from 
her  sewing,  she  saw  her  husband  crossing  the  bridge. 
He  was  walking  very  fast,  and  had  his  head  in  the  air. 
Even  at  such  a  distance  she  saw  that  his  face  was 
flushed,  and  that  he  seemed  excited.  She  began  to 
tremble,  fearing  that  some  new  complication  had  arisen. 
He  nodded  and  smiled  to  her  at  the  garden  gate,  and 


1 9o  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

came  striding  into  the  house  without  knocking.  Sht 
met  him  at  the  parlour  door,  and  looked  at  him  almosi 
imploringly.  He  put  his  arm  round  her,  and  drew  her 
to  his  side.  The  caress  was  so  spontaneous  and  so 
affectionate  that  involuntarily  the  tears  started  to  her 
eyes. 

As  we  know,  Herbert  had  not  been  all  he  should 
have  been  to  her  of  late.  '  My  wifie,'  he  said,  with  real 
tenderness.  '  Never  mind,  we'll  stick  together  through 
thick  and  thin,  and  show  them  all  yet  what  stuff  we're 
made  of.' 

She  was  unable  to  speak,  but  her  apprehension 
vanished  when  he  spoke  to  her  like  that.  She  felt  that 
it  would  be  happiness  to  beg  her  bread  with  him  so 
long  as  he  kept  her  by  his  side.  She  truly  loved  him 
— perhaps  better  than  he  deserved.  But  we  will  hope 
to  see  a  man  made  of  Herbert  yet. 

'I  told  the  governor,  and  there's  been  an  awful  row. 
He  says  he'll  never  speak  to  me  again.  But  I  don't  care. 
I'll  show  him  I'm  not  the  useless  cad  he  takes  me  for. 
By  Jove,  Janie,  he  gave  it  us  hot.' 

That  was  all  he  told  her.  He  did  not  say  that  his 
father's  ungentlemanly  abuse  of  the  girl  his  son  had 
married  had  roused  the  latent  spark  of  chivalry  in  the 
young  man's  breast.  If  Mr.  Hazell  had  spoken  plainly, 
he  had  also  been  obliged  to  listen  to  some  plain  speak- 
ing, for  Herbert  had  not  his  brother's  self-control,  and 
could  sometimes  send  an  arrow  straight  to  the  mark. 

'  He  says  we'll  die  in  the  workhouse.  Well,  we'll  see, 
my  wifie,'  repeated  Herbert,  looking  down  into  the 
tearful  face  on  his  shoulder.  '  How  nice  you  are  looking ! 


HUSBAND  AND  WIFE.  191 

Do  ym  know,  I  believe  I'm  going  to  fall  in  love  with 
you  again  on  the  head  of  it — eh  ? ' 

'  I  feel  ever  so  nice.  This  has  been  such  a  delightful 
day.  Your  sister  came  in  the  morning.' 

Herbert  whistled. 

'  Molly  1  Did  she  though  ?  And  how  did  you  and 
she  get  on  ? ' 

'  Very  well.  How  very  nice  she  is,  Herbert !  I  have 
misjudged  her  badly ;  and  she  is  far  more  beautiful  than 
I  thought  her/ 

'  And  what  did  you  get  to  say  to  each  other  ?  It 
must  have  been  rather  a  queer  meeting.' 

'  Oh  no,  it  all  came  about  naturally.  She  is  quite  a 
lady,  and  so  she  put  me  at  my  ease.  I  am  going  to  try 
and  be  more  like  her,  Herbert.' 

'  Are  you  ?  Molly  is  a  Tartar  sometimes,  too,' 
said  Herbert,  with  a  smile.  '  Well,  suppose  we  sit 
down  here  and  face  this  out  We're  married, 
aren't  we  ? ' 

'  Yes,  I  think  so.' 

'  Well,  we're  married,  point  one ;  we  have  not  a  cent 
in  the  world,  point  two ;  we've  got  our  living  to  make, 
point  three ;  how  is  it  to  be  done  ?  point  four.  What 
would  you  suggest,  Janie  ? ' 

'  I  don't  know,  and  I  don't  care,'  was  Janie's  very 
unpractical  reply  to  these  several  questions. 

'  Well,  then,  I've  got  to  see  about  it,  and  I  will,'  said 
Herbert,  with  a  new  and  delightful  decision.  '  Shall  I 
tell  you  what  I  made  up  my  mind  for  coming  up  from 
the  brewery  ? ' 

'Yes.' 


19*  HAZZLL  &  SOWS. 

'  Well,  in  the  first  place,  Janie,  we  must  have  another 
wedding  in  St.  Nicholas.' 

'Oh!' 

'  Yes,  a  right  wedding,  with  bridesmaids  and  every- 
thing up  to  the  mark.  I'm  going  to  show  Medlington 
that  I'm  not  ashamed  of  my  wife,  though  I  have  not 
treated  her  very  well  for  a  while.  But  you'll  forgive 
me ;  won't  you,  Janie  ? ' 

'  Yes,  oh  yes !  there's  nothing  to  forgive,'  cried  the 
happy  girl.  '  But  what  has  changed  you  so,  Herbert  ? 
You  are  quite  different.' 

'  I've  been  a  mean  sneak,  Janie,  but  I'll  tell  you  all 
about  it — yes,  everything,  by  and  by,  when  we  are  right 
married  and  away  together,'  he  answered,  with  a  new 
earnestness.  'Do  you  think  you  could  trust  me  now, 
Janie,  after  all  the  way  I've  done  ?  Do  you  think  you 
would  go  away  with  me,  and  believe  that  I  would  do 
the  very  best  for  you  that  I  could  ? ' 

'  I'll  go  to  the  end  of  the  earth  with  you  without 
asking  a  question  if  you'll  only  care  for  me  like  this,' 
cried  Janie,  flinging  her  ambition  to  the  winds. 

'  I'm  not  worth  it,  but  I'll  show  you  that  I  can  mean 
what  I  say  as  well  as  say  what  I  don't  mean.  Well, 
after  we  are  married  we'll  go  abroad  somewhere  and 
start  with  all  our  might.  See  if  I  don't  make  my 
fortune  some  day  soon,  and  then  we'll  come  back  and 
give  Medlington  a  surprise.' 

'  And  would  you  think  of  doing  this  soon,  Herbert  ? ' 

'  Yes,  it  must  be  done  at  once,  dear,  because,  you  see, 
I'm  paid  off,  and  I  don't  suppose  my  father  will  let  me 
stop  on  at  home.  Perhaps  I'll  need  to  put  up  at  Bob's 


HUSBAND  AND  WIFE.  193 

digs  at  Burnley.  I  say,  Janie,  before  very  long  there'll 
be  a  new  sign  up  at  the  brewery,  and  do  you  know 
what'll  be  on  it  ? — Hazell  &  Ford.  The  latter  gentle- 
man is  the  head  of  the  concern  as  it  is.' 

'  If  you  think  so,  I  wonder  you  are  both  leaving.  I 
wouldn't  go  off  and  let  that  Ford  get  everything  his  own 
way,'  said  Janie  shrewdly. 

'  That's  uncommon  like  what  I've  been  thinking 
myself,  but  I'm  not  much  use,  even  if  my  father  would 
let  me  have  a  say  in  the  business.  The  fact  is,  I  must 
stand  on  my  own  legs  now,  Janie,  if  I've  ever  to  do  any 
good.  That's  the  mistake  that's  been  made  with  us  all 
our  lives.  "We've  never  been  allowed  to  have  the  least 
responsibility  in  anything.  It  makes  a  young  fellow 
very  indifferent,  and  yet  Bob  has  turned  out  splendidly 
in  spite  of  it  all.' 

'  Isn't  he  very  solemn  and  stern,  Herbert  ?  He  quite 
looks  it.' 

'  Oh  no,  he's  the  best  fellow  in  the  world,  and,  though 
he  is  at  Burnley,  will  keep  an  eye  on  the  brewery,  I 
know.  But  I  have  not  told  you  yet  that  Bob  got,  or 
has  taken,  his  leave  too,  and  that  he's  going  to  be 
Edwardes'  cashier  at  Ladywell  at  two  hundred  a  year. 
When  the  governor  told  me  a  little  ago,  it  nearly 
stunned  me.' 

'  Two  hundred  a  year  !  How  will  Miss  Meredith  like 
that  ? ' 

'  She'll  like  it  better  than  the  Priory  and  a  big  income 
from  the  brewery,  as  you  know,  and  Bob  has  had  bis 
scruples  for  a  while.' 

'  Well,'   said  Janie,   with    a   curious   thoughtfulness, 


194  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  when  one  comes  to  think  of  it,  drink  loes  a  lot  of  harm 
Why,  what  a  lot  I  could  name  among  my  acquaintances 
who  have  gone  all  wrong  together !  There  is  something 
mean  and  horrid  in  making  one's  living  by  it.' 

Herbert  was  silent.  Perhaps  he  had  never  seriously 
considered  it. 

'And  I  don't  think,  Herbert,  that  we  should  begin 
with  it ;  I  mean  keeping  it  in  the  house.  It  just  brings 
a  lot  of  folk  about  for  it.  I've  often  heard  pa  say  that, 
and  it's  quite  true.' 

'As  you'll  have  the  keeping  of  the  house,  you  can 
please  yourself  about  that  matter,  Janie,'  said  Herbert 
lightly,  and  yet  his  eye  grew  grave  as  he  spoke.  He 
remembered  suddenly  some  of  Madeline  Rayne's  earnest 
pleading.  How  very  often  had  she  urged  upon  him  the 
duty  of  total  abstinence  in  the  many  talks  they  had 
had  together ! 

'  And  you  really  want  another  wedding  ? '  said  Janie, 
breaking  the  silence,  and  a  pleased,  happy  smile  touched 
her  lips.  '  My,  what  a  stir  it'll  make  in  Medlington ! 
Do  you  think  your  folks  '11  be  pleased  ? ' 

'  Some  of  them  won't,  but  Bob  will  be  my  best  man, 
I  know,  and  Mary  will  come  if  father  will  let  her. 
Mary  and  her  friend  ' — 

1  Miss  Rayne.  You  think  a  great  deal  of  her,  don't 
you  ? '  asked  .Janie,  with  a  slight  wistfulness  which  was 
almost  pathetic. 

'  Think !  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think.  She's  one  of 
the  best  women  that  ever  lived,'  said  Herbert  in  a  low 
voice.  '  But  we  won't  speak  about  that.  I'll  tell  you 
everything  by  and  by ;  but  as  long  as  we  both  live, 


HUSBAND  AND  WIFE.  195 

Janie,  we'll  never  have  a  truer  friend,  nor  one  who'll 
wi°h  us  better  than  Madeline  Rayne.  And  no*v,  how 
soon  can  you  get  your  finery  ready  ?  I  want  you  to 
look  as  beautiful  as  possible  that  day,  you  know,  because 
there'll  be  so  many  staring  eyes.' 

Again  Janie's  vague  discontent  vanished.  The  very 
thought  that  he  was  proud  of  her,  that  he  really  wished 
her  to  look  well,  was  like  a  draught-,  of  wine  to  her  heart. 
So  they  rambled  off  into  a  talk  about  ways  and  means, 
and  two  hours  slipped  away  before  they  knew  where 
they  were.  Mr.  Gregory  came  home  to  tea  at  six  o'clock, 
and  then  Herbert  rose  to  go. 

'Just  go  out  for  a  few  minutes,  Janie,  while  I  speak 
to  your  father,'  said  Herbert,  noticing  the  slight  frown 
on  Miles  Gregory's  face. 

Janie  was  very  glad  to  slip  away,  and,  running  into 
the  kitchen,  she  threw  her  arms  round  her  mother's 
neck,  and  cried  that  she  was  the  very  happiest  girl  in 
the  whole  world. 

'Well,  sir?'  said  Miles  Gregory  shortly  and  brusquely, 
for  he  was  inclined  to  be  very  angry  with  Herbert 
Hazell,  who,  he  considered,  had  played  very  idly  with 
his  daughter's  feelings. 

'  I  want  to  make  an  explanation  to  you,  Mr.  Gregory,' 
said  Herbert,  with  a  more  manly  air  than  the  tavern- 
keeper  had  ever  seen  him  assume  before. 

'  Well,  and  it's  about  time,  sir,  that  something  was 
said.  There's  a  deal  to  be  said  on  my  side  at  least/ 
svas  his  significant  reply. 

'  I  have  to-day  told  my  father  that  I  am  married  to 
Janie.' 


196  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  Quite  time,  too,'  was  his  unpromising  retort. 

'  He  was,  as  I  expected,  frightfully  angry,  and  he  has, 
if  I  may  so  put  it,  given  me  notice  to  quit  his  employ- 
ment.' 

'Very  kind  of  him.  And  what  are  you  going  to  do 
now?' 

'  That  is  what  I  wish  to  speak  about,  Mr.  Gregory. 
I  ask  your  pardon  for  the  way  in  which  I  have  treated 
your  daughter,  and  I  assure  you  I  intend  to  show  by 
my  actions  the  sincerity  of  my  regret  for  the  past.' 

'Fair  words,  young  man;  but  what  do  they  mean?' 
said  Miles  Gregory  cautiously.  It  is  probable  that  he 
feared  some  demand  on  his  purse.  Remember  his  past 
experience  of  Herbert  Hazell.  He  had  not  had  occasion 
to  form  a  very  high  estimate  of  his  character,  and  could 
hardly  be  expected  to  give  him  credit  for  the  best  motives 
on  immediate  notice. 

'I  have  had  a  long  talk  with  Janie.  With  your 
permission  and  Mrs.  Gregory's,  we  should  like  to  be 
re-married  in  St.  Nicholas'  Church,  before  the  eyes  of  all 
Medlington.' 

'Oh!' 

Mr.  Gregory  was  very  much  surprised. 

'  Is  this  to  spite  the  old  un  ? '  he  asked,  with  an 
unpleasant  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

Herbert  winced. 

'  Not  quite.  I  wish  to  atone  to  Janie  for  what  I  did 
before.  She  shall  have  her  dues  now  if  she  will  take 
them.' 

'  And  after,  what  are  you  going  to  live  on  ? ' 

'  We  intend  to  go  abroad.' 


HUSBAND  AND  WIFE.  197 

Mr.  Gregory  looked  askance. 

'  I  don't  approve  of  that.  She's  all  we've  got ;  and, 
besides,  what  guarantee  would  her  mother  or  me  have  that 
you  would  have  a  good  way  for  her  ?  She's  been  well 
brought  up.  She  can't  rough  it,  and  she  won't.  There  ! ' 

'  She's  my  wife,  Mr.  Gregory,'  said  Herbert,  drawing 
himself  up  a  litile,  for  the  man's  tone  was  very  offen- 
sive. '  If  she  is  willing  to  frrust  me,  nobody  can  come 
between  us,  sir.' 

Gregory  was  more  amazed  than  ever.  Hitherto 
young  Hazell  had  been  very  pliable.  He  had  rather 
despised  him ;  but  there  was  more  in  him  than  had  yet 
been  revealed. 

'  Heigh  ho !  So  we're  going  to  ride  our  high  horse 
now,  are  we  ? '  he  said  jestingly.  '  Well,  I'll  not  saj 
but  what  I  like  the  style  of  your  talk  better  than  I've 
ever  liked  anything  I've  heard  you  say  before.  It  shows 
you  mean  to  stand  up  for  the  girl  That  being  so,  I'm 
quite  open  to  reason,  and  I'll  help  you  all  I  can.  What's 
the  use  of  the  money  we've  gathered  if  it  wasn't  for  to 
make  our  only  child  happy.  But  I  set  my  foot  firm 
on  Janie  going  abroad.  Yon  may  if  you  like,  but  she 
won't' 

Herbert  smiled  a  little.  Perhaps  he  knew  that 
nothing  in  the  world  would  make  Janie  stay  behind. 
But  he  did  not  say  so. 

'  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  though,'  said  Gregory  pre- 
sently. '  I'll  keep  my  eyes  open,  and  when  there's  a 
tidy  little  business  in  the  spirit  line  for  sale  I'll  stump 
up.  You  can  pay  all  back  when  the  profits  increase. 
There's  money  in  the  business,  Hazell,  as  you  know.' 


198  HAZELL  <5r-  SONS. 

Herbert  was  silent  a  moment,  not  knowing  what  to 
say. 

'  Just  look  at  Butterby  at  the  Bell  Inn.  He's  worth 
five  or  six  thousand  if  he's  worth  a  penny,'  continued 
Miles  Gregory,  rubbing  his  hands  together.  '  And  1 
suppose  I  don't  need  to  say  anything  to  you  about  the 
tidy  sum  her  ladyship  up  at  Mount  Pleasant  pockets 
every  year  out  of  the  "  Base- Ball "  ? 

'  I  wouldn't  keep  a  place  like  the  "  Base-Ball,"  not  if 
it  gave  me  thousands  in  return,'  cried  Herbert  hotly. 

'  Oh,  indeed  !  mighty  fine  !  It's  not  so  long  since 
you  thought  the  "  Base  -  Ball "  a  pretty  snug  corner. 
Pray,  what  would  you  deign  to  do  for  a  living,  since  an 
honest  trade's  beneath  you  ?  It's  only  another  branch 
of  the  trade  which  keeps  up  Hazelwood  and  all  its  pride 
and  style,  and  if  there  is  anything  mean  or  bad  in  it, 
why,  the  brewery  '11  get  the  hardest  judgment,  because 
it's  the  biggest  concern.  I'm  bound  to  say  that  as 
many  mother's  sons  have  gone  off  the  straight  through 
Hazell's  as  at  the  "  Base-Ball."  Is  it  going  to  be  all 
talk  with  you,  then,  as  it  has  always  been,  since  the 
first  time  we  set  eyes  on  you  ?  What  I  wish  is  that 
you'd  never  set  eyes  on  our  gel.  She'd  have  done  a 
thousand  times  better  if  you'd  let  her  alone.' 

'  I  see  there  is  no  use  talking  to  you  just  now,  Mr. 
Gregory,  so  I'll  go  away  home,  and  see  what's  to  be 
done.  I'll  look  down  to-morrow,  and  perhaps  we'll  be 
able  to  understand  each  other  better,  so  good-night.' 


\> 7  ^^-      ^^^•**fr^**^^^^K^^^'^Ay3 

*J6£to*OTJfaS 

^^W.<**t'<V*r         '.V**>'*<ir>^,    " 


CHAPTEK    XIX. 


A   CRISIS. 

HAZELL  w&a  sitting  in  the  library 
window,  idle,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  the 
autumn-coloured  trees  in  the  park,  and  the 
sad  sky  visible  through  the  thinning  boughs. 
It  was  the  month  of  October,  and  the  year  was  on  tho 
wane.  An  open  letter,  written  on  sheets  of  foreign 
notepaper,  lay  upon  her  lap.  She  had  read  it  through, 
and  she  was  thinking  over  what  it  contained.  Her 
face  was  paler  and  thinner  than  of  yore;  the  past 
summer  had  been  one  of  deep  anxiety  and  harassing 
care  for  Mary  Hazell.  Her  expression  at  that  moment, 
however,  was  bright,  for  the  contents  of  her  Australian 
letter  had  pleased  her  well  It  was  a  good  thing  to 
read  of  others'  prosperity  and  bright  happiness  when 
her  own  heart  was  so  heavy.  The  shadows  were 
gathering  very  darkly  round  Hazelwood,  and  the  night 
was  closing  in. 

The  chiming  of  the  clock  warned  her  that  the  dinner 
hour  was  approaching,  so,  gathering  up  her  letter,  she 

left  the  room,  and  proceeded  up-stairs.     She  looked  into 

in 


200  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

the  drawing-room,  expecting  to  find  Madeline  there,  but 
it  was  empty.  Opening  the  door  of  Mrs.  Hazell's 
dressing-room,  she  found  both  ladies  sitting  by  the  fire. 
Mrs.  Hazell  was  in  her  easy  chair,  looking  very  frail ; 
Madeline  Eayne,  still  an  inmate,  nay,  now  like  a  dear 
daughter  of  the  house,  had  been  reading  aloud,  but  the 
light  had  stolen  away  from  the  room,  already  the 
shadows  of  an  early  twilight  were  falling  about  them 
where  they  sat. 

'  Come  in,  dear.  We  were  wondering,  Lena  and  I, 
where  you  had  flown,'  said  Mrs.  Hazell,  looking  round 
with  her  sweet,  kind,  patient  smile.  But  for  these  two 
girls  Eleanor  Hazell's  life  had  been  one  of  curious  trial. 
But  there  was  love,  and  trust,  and  sweet  companionship 
always  between  these  three. 

'  I  am  very  selfish.  Instead  of  bringing  Bertie's  long 
letter  up  here,  I  stole  away  to  the  library  to  enjoy  it 
all  by  myself,'  said  Mary  brightly.  '  We  have  half  an 
hour  to  taTi  about  it  here.  He  writes  in  such  splendid 
spirits,  dear  boy.' 

'  I  forgot  this  was  the  mail  day,'  said  Mrs.  Hazell. 
'  And  they  are  getting  on  very  nicely  still,  are  they  ? ' 

'  Yes,  mamma.  Your  cousin  has  raised  Herbert's 
salary  fifty  pounds,  and  as  a  consequence  he  has  bought 
Janie  a  new  piano.  It  is  delightful  to  read  their  letter. 
They  are  so  happy  and  proud  of  each  other.  Who 
would  ever  have  thought  it  was  our  ne'er-do-weel  turn- 
ing into  such  a  splendid  fellow  ?  Lena,  here  is  your 
little  bit  marked  private,  but  I  am  not  going  to  be  in 
the  least  bit  jealous.' 

As  she  spoke  she  handed  Madeline  the  tiny  square 


A  CKISIS.  aoi 

envelope  which  hi.J  been  enclosed  in  hers.  Madeline 
smiled  and  slipped  it  into  her  pocket.  She  would  read 
it  by  and  by. 

'  Bertie  says  he  never  was  so  well  off  nor  so  happy 
in  his  life,  mamma,'  said  Mary  presently.  '  He  also 
says  Janie  is  a  trump,  and  the  best  wife  any  man  ever 
had.  To  think  that  they  are  so  much  to  each  other, 
and  doing  so  well  in  Victoria !  Isn't  it  delightful,  dear 
mamma  ? ' 

'It  is  indeed,'  returned  Mrs.  Hazell,  and  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears. 

'  He  cannot  write  sufficiently  about  Mr.  Latrobe's 
kindness.  He  could  not  have  got  on  so  fast,  nor  so 
well,  had  he  not  had  your  introduction.  Altogether, 
circumstances  have  made  a  man  of  our  Bertie.' 

'  I  wonder  if  papa  would  let  me  read  this  letter  to 
him,'  said  Mary  after  a  moment's  silence.  '  I  mean  to 
speak  to  him  about  the  boys  this  very  night  Mamma, 
I  am  just  dying  to  see  Bob  and  Lucy.  I  am  going  to 
tell  papa  to-night  that  I  am  going  over  to  Burnley 
to-morrow.' 

'  My  dear,  he  will  be  very  angry,'  said  Mrs.  Hazell 
timidly,  and  her  face  flushed  with  nervousness. 

Mary  laid  down  Herbert's  letter  and  came  nearer 
Mrs.  Hazell's  chair.  Her  face  was  flushed  a  little,  too, 
but  her  mouth  was  very  resolute. 

4  Mamma,  I  have  been  thinking  a  great  deal  about 
things  lately,  and  praying  over  them  too,'  she  said,  with 
a  little  sob  in  her  voice.  '  And  I  do  think  that  we  give 
in  far  too  much  to  papa.  It  cannot  be  right  to  be  so 
obedient,  when  one's  conscience  tells  one  what  is  right. 

14 


209  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

Robert  has  done  no  harm ;  he  has  always  been  the  best 
son  ever  any  man  had  And,  mamma,  it  is  not  papa's 
real  self  who  is  so  tyrannical  and  angry  with  us.  It  is 
the  evil  influence  which  is  always  bearing  on  him  that 
we  have  to  deal  with,  and  I  have  made  up  my  mind 
that  I  am  not  going  to  stand  by  in  silence  any  more. 
Listen,  mamma  and  Lena :  I  am  going  to  fight  now,  and 
I  mean  to  be  the  victor.' 

She  smiled  then,  but  it  was  a  melancholy  and 
tremulous  smile,  from  which  tears  were  not  far 
removed. 

'  Oh,  my  darling,  we  have  had  a  great  deal  of 
fighting  already,'  said  Mrs.  Hazell  quickly.  '  What  if 
your  father  were  to  put  you  away  too.  He  made  very 
short  work  of  the  boys.' 

'Yes,  but  he'll  find  me  a  tougher  subject  to  deal 
with,'  said  Mary  grimly.  '  There  is  one  human  being 
in  the  world  with  whom  I  would  like  to  be  even  before 
I  die,  and  I'm  going  to  begin  my  campaign  to-night. 
It  is  perfectly  awful  to  me  to  stand  by  and  see  papa 
becoming  such  a  wreck.  I  am  going  to  save  him  if 
I  can.' 

There  was  something  noble  and  sweet  in  Mary's 
whole  bearing  as  she  said  this.  She  stood  up,  held 
back  her  dainty  head,  and  her  eyes  flashed.  Her 
listeners  knew  right  well  what  she  meant,  and  an 
admiring  gleam  shone  in  the  eyes  of  Madeline  Kayne. 
She  had  waited  in  hope  for  this  awakening.  Mary 
alone  could  save  Hazelwood.  Perhaps  the  time  had 
now  come. 

'  Something  must  be  done,  and  that  soon,'  said  Mary, 


A  CRISIS,  203 

speaking  more  quickly,  but  with  equal  decision.  '  The 
feeling  among  the  people  has  reached  a  terrible  height. 
I  am  afraid  to  go  to  the  Rows  now.  We  shall  have  a 
strike  soon,-  or  something  worse.  I  could  not  blame 
then.,  they  are  so  terribly  oppressed.' 

'  I  have  wondered,'  said  Madeline,  speaking  for  the 
first  time,  '  that  it  is  safe  for  the  manager  to  go  abroad. 
They  hate  him  so  much  that  it  is  a  marvel  they  have 
done  him  no  harm.' 

'  He  may  go  a  step  beyond,'  said  Mary,  and  her  fair 
face  flushed.  '  There  will  come  a  day  when  Medlington 
will  not  be  a  safe  place  for  Mr.  Michael  Ford.' 

At  that  moment  a  servant  knocked  at  the  door. 

'  The  master  has  come  in,  Miss  Mary,  and  wishes  to 
speak  to  you,'  she  said. 

Mary  smiled,  and  bent  over  Mrs.  Hazell's  chair. 

'  Keep  up  your  courage,  dear  mamma.  I  feel  as  if 
this  crisis  were  nearly  past.  Brighter  days  are  in 
store,  I  am  sure,  for  Hazelwood,  and  for  us  all.' 

So  saying,  she  left  the  room. 

'  Dear,  bright,  brave  Mary  ! '  said  Mrs.  Hazell,  when 
the  door  closed  upon  her.  '  Oh,  Lena,  if  her  father 
should  sacrifice  her  would  it  not  be  a  cruel  shame  ? ' 

'  Sacrifice  her !  Do  not  fear,  dear  Mrs.  Hazell,'  said 
Madeline  cheerfully.  '  Mary  will  never  sacrifice  herself 
to  Michael  Ford.' 

'  Oh,  this  cruel  drink  ! '  sighed  Mrs.  Hazell.  '  It  has 
utterly  ruined  Mr.  Hazell.  Don't  you  remember,  Lena, 
even  when  you  came  to  us  first,  what  a  clear  intellect 
and  strong,  sound  judgment  he  had.  He  is  terribly 
changed.  I  hope  we  are  not  too  hard  on  that  man. 


«o4  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

Mr.  Hazell  constantly  tells  me  how  invaluable  he  is 
bo  him,  but  I  do  suspect  sometimes  that  Mr.  Ford 
encourages  him  in  his  secret  sin.  Mr.  Hazell  drinks 
at  the  office  now,  Lena,  and  we  cannot  keep  it  from 
him  there  ! ' 

It  had  come  to  this,  then.  Mr.  Hazell's  fall  was 
discussed  by  the  women  of  his  household  as  an 
established  fact  It  was,  alas !  no  longer  a  secret. 

'  It  is  nearly  six,  Mrs.  Hazell ;  dinner  will  be  served 
immediately,'  said  Madeline,  after  a  moment's  silence. 
She  had  nothing  to  say  in  reply  to  the  suspicion 
uttered  by  the  anxious  wife.  She  knew  it  was  only 
too  well  founded.  'Will  you  come  down  to-night?' 
she  added,  looking  affectionately  at  her  pale,  sad  face. 

'  I  think  not  I  am  very  tired.  But  never  mind  me. 
Run  and  get  ready.  Mr.  Hazell  does  not  like  to  wait.' 

'He  never  has  to  wait  for  me.  Mary  is  the 
delinquent,'  laughed  Madeline,  as  she  left  the  room. 
She  took  her  letter  from  her  pocket,  and,  creeping  to  a 
little  corner  window  in  the  corridor,  sat  down  on  the 
broad  ledge  to  read  it  by  the  last  feeble  light  from  the 
yellow  west.  It  was  very  short,  but  it  brought  a  very 
sweet  and  tender  smile  to  her  lips  as  she  read  it. 

'Dear  Madeline,'  it  began,  in  Herbert's  clear,  bold 
handwriting,  '  you  will  be  hearing  the  good  news  from 
Mary,  but  Janie  and  I  feel  that  we  would  like  to  write 
one  little  line  just  to  tell  you  how  happy  we  are,  and 
how  we  bless  God  for  His  goodness  to  us.  When  I 
look  back,  Madeline,  I  am  amazed  that  so  much  good- 
ness and  mercy  should  have  followed  me  here.  Janie 


A  CRISIS.  205 

and  I  have  long  talks  now,  and  I  have  told  her  how 
you  used  to  speak  to  me,  my  first,  best  friend.  It  was 
you  (and  Janie  knows  and  loves  you  for  it)  who  first 
awakened  in  me  the  desire  to  live  a  better  life.  I 
think  you  will  be  glad  to  know  that  I  have  remembered 
every  word  you  ever  said  to  me,  and  that  I  am  trying, 
as  you  so  often  urged  me,  to  make  a  man  of  myself.  I 
could  write  a  great  deal  more,  but  Janie  (bless  her !  the 
dearest  wife  in  the  world)  is  at  my  elbow,  and  she  says 
I  am  using  up  all  the  paper  before  she  has  written  a 
single  word.  So  the  next  sentence  will  be  hers.' 

'  Dear  Miss  Eayne, — I  have  read  what  Herbert 
says,  and  I  only  want  to  add  that  every  word  is  in  my 
heart  too.  I  thank  you  over  and  over  for  what  you 
did  for  him.  It  was  after  you  came  to  Hazelwood  he 
began  to  change.  He  is  so  kind  and  good  to  me,  and 
makes  me  so  happy.  I  fear  I  am  not  so  good  a  wife 
as  he  says,  though  it  is  very  sweet  to  know  he  thinks  I 
am.  But  I  do  try,  dear  Miss  Eayne,  to  be  a  good 
woman.  I  am  so  grateful  for  the  happiness  I  have  in 
my  home.  God  bless  you.  Some  day,  perhaps,  you 
will  come  here  and  see  us.  Oh,  what  a  day  that  would 
be  for  Herbert  and  me  ! — Your  true  friend, 

'  JANE  HAZELL.' 

So  that  was  Madeline  Rayne's  reward,  and  it  sent 
her  to  her  own  room  with  a  song  in  her  heart. 

Meanwhile,  a  very  different  scene  was  being  enacted 
in  the  library. 

Mary  found  her  father  there,  walking  up  and  down 
in  that  nervous,  excited  way  which  had  characterized 


206  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

him  of  late.  Yes,  the  master  of  Hazelwood  was  much 
changed.  He  had  grown  very  stout,  but  the  vigour  oi 
health  had  left  him.  His  eyes  were  bleared  and  dim, 
his  mouth  had  an  unsteady  twitching,  his  hands 
trembled,  even  while  he  made  an  effort  to  keep  them 
still  Two  years'  continuous  secret  drinking  had  left 
its  mark  on  the  master  of  Hazelwood.  Mary  saw  at 
once  that  he  was  more  excited  than  usual,  and  a  curious 
calmness  took  possession  of  her. 

'  Well,  papa,'  she  said  cheerfully,  '  what  is  it  ? 
Could  it  wait  till  after  dinner  ?  It  is  close  on  six 
o'clock' 

'  No,  it  can't  wait — dinner  can.  Ford  is  coming  up. 
I  hope  you  have  something  decent  to  set  before  him,' 
said  Mr.  Hazell  irritably. 

'  Shall  I  tell  you  what  I  ordered  ? '  asked  Mary 
banteringly.  '  Kidney-soup,  beefsteak  pie,  and  mutton- 
cutlets,  cabinet  pudding  and  apple  tart.  I  believe  that 
is  our  bill  of  fare  for  to-day.' 

She  spoke  lightly  to  hide  her  deep,  almost  painful 
anxiety.  She  felt  that  a  crisis  was  indeed  at  hand. 

'  Humph  !  it'll  need  to  do,  I  suppose,'  said  Mr.  Hazell. 
Then  he  fixed  his  unsteady  eyes  keenly  on  his  daughter's 
sweet,  flushed  face.  '  You'd  better  put  a  silk  gown  on. 
I  suppose  you  have  one.' 

'  Yes,  I  have  two  ;  but  I  shall  not  put  on  either 
to-night,  papa,'  said  Mary.  '  If  Mr.  Ford  doesn't  like 
to  sit  down  with  us  as  we  are,  he  can  just  go  away 
home.  I  don't  suppose  he  is  accustomed  to  dine  every 
evening  in  full  dress.' 

Mr.  Hazell  frowned. 


A  CRJSIS.  toy 

'  You  have  never  been  civil  to  Michael  Ford,  Mary, 
though  I  have  repeatedly  enjoined  you  to  be  attentive 
to  him.  He  has  been  invaluable  to  me,  and  I  have 
now  in  a  measure  rewarded  him.  I  have  signed  a  deed 
of  co-partnery  with  Mr.  Ford  to-day,  Mary,  so  you  will 
please  to  remember  that  it  is  my  partner  you  are  to 
entertain.' 

Mary  curled  her  lip,  but  spoke  not  a  word.  She 
was  afraid  to  tru?t  her  voice  lest  she  should  say  some- 
thing unbecoming  to  her  father. 

'  I  had  better  go  and  tell  mamma  and  Lena  to  dress 
also  then,  papa,  and  tell  the  cook  to  keep  dinner  back 
half  an  hour.  Will  that  do  ? ' 

'  Yes.     Is  your  mother  coming  down  to-night  ? ' 

'  Not  to  the  dining-room  ;  Mr.  Ford  will  see  her  up- 
stairs,' said  Mary,  beginning  to  move  towards  the  door. 

'  Wait  a  moment,'  said  Mr.  Hazell,  with  a  visible 
increase  of  nervousness ;  '  there  is  another  thing  I  want 
to  speak  to  you  about  Of  course,  you  know  well 
enough  it  is  you  Ford  comes  here  to  see  ? ' 

'  I  have  not  given  it  a  thought,'  said  Mary,  with  her 
hand  on  the  door. 

'  Well,  you'll  need  to  think  about  it  now.  He  has 
asked  and  obtained  my  permission  to  pay  his  addresses 
to  you,  and  I  beg  of  you  to  be  sensible  about  it.  You'll 
never  get  a  better  husband,  nor  one  more  devoted,  than 
him.  In  fact,  he  thinks  far  too  much  of  you. 

Again  Mary's  lip  curled  in  matchless  scorn. 

'  Do  I  understand  you  to  say,  papa,  that  Mr.  Ford 
intends  asking  me  to  marry  him,  and  that  you  wish  me 
to  accept  him  ? ' 


2P.8  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  Yes ;  and  why  not  ?  Where  would  you  get  a 
better  ? ' 

'  I  won't  do  it,'  said  Mary  quite  quietly,  but  with 
unmistakable  decision. 

'  You  won't !  But  you  must !  Ford's  my  partner, 
and  a  most  worthy — in  fact,  a  splendid — fellow  !  You 
don't  know  what  you're  doing,  girl.  Why,  you're 
nearly  five-and-twenty,  and  you've  never  had  an  offer.' 

*  I  don't  mind  though  I  were  five-and-fifty,  papa,' 
said  Mary,  with  a  swift,  indignant  smile.  '  If  there  is 
a  man  in  the  world  I  despise  and  detest,  it  is  Michael 
Ford  ;  and  very  well  he  knows  it.  I  don't  think  he 
can  have  forgotten  what  I  said  to  him  two  years  ago 
on  the  road  from  Medlington.  I  remember  it,  at  any 
rate,  and  it  will  save  trouble,  papa,  if  you  tell  him  that 
my  sentiments  are  unchanged.' 

Mr.  Hazell's  face  grew  purple  with  anger. 

'  You're  a  fool,  girl,  and  you  don't  know  what  you're 
doing,'  he  said  hoarsely.  '  You  must  marry  Ford ; 
there's  no  other  way  out  of  it.  I  can't  do  without  him. 
I've  offered  him  money,  and  I  thought  that  this  partner- 
ship would  satisfy  him  ;  but  it's  you  he  wants,  and  you 
must  have  him.' 

'  Eefer  him  to  me,  papa,'  said  Mary  in  cold,  calm 
tones,  '  and  I'll  let  him  have  the  benefit  of  a  few  plain 
truths.' 

'  If  you  do — if  you  dare,'  cried  Mr.  Hazell  hoarsely, 
'  I — I  don't  know  what  he'll  do  !  He  has  the  power  to 
ruin  us,  I  believe !  He's  got  everything  into  his 
hands  since  the  boys  left  here,  and  he  can  do  what  he 
likes  with  the  whole  concern.' 


A  CRISIS.  ;o9 

It  was  a  pitiable  confession,  and  Mary,  even  in  her 
horror  and  indignation,  could  not  but  be  touched  by  her 
father's  appearance.  He  had  aged  of  late,  and  had 
grown  very  helpless. 

'  I  haven't  the  head  I  used  to  have  for  business, 
Mary,  and  I  don't  understand  things  as  I  should.  But 
I  know  Ford  is  invaluable.  He  has  made  the  thing 
pay.  Of  course  he  has  pocketed  a  big  share,  but  he 
deserved  it.  I  believe  if  we  were  to  quarrel  with  him 
he'd  make  the  thing  a  smash,  and  I  shouldn't  have  a 
penny  left.  He's  that  kind  of  man,  Mary.  I  believe 
it  would  be  to  our  advantage  to  keep  him  right.  Could 
you  try  and  tolerate  him  ?  He's  afraid  of  you,  I  know. 
You  might  make  him  a  better  fellow,  and  keep  the 
thing  all  right,  and  it  isn't  much  I'm  asking  you  to  do 
for  me.' 

Mary  shivered.  Not  much  ?  Only  to  sacrifice  her- 
self to  a  man  she  loathed  and  despised.  Perhaps  to 
the  distorted  vision  of  Mr.  Hazell  that  seemed  a  very 
little  thing,  but  to  Mary  it  was  awful  indeed.. 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  and  uttered  a 
low,  passionate  cry. 

'  Oh,  papa,  papa  !  why  did  you  drive  the  boys  away, 
and  let  that  evil  man  gain  such  an  influence  over  you. 
I  will  go  to  Robert.  He  is  wise,  and  kind,  and  good. 
He  will  put  this  evil  man  in  his  right  place.  I  shall 
go  this  very  night.' 

But  Mr.  Hazell  only  mournfully  and  hopelessly 
shook  his  grey  head,  and  wrung  his  nerveless  hands  as 
if  he  had  neither  heart  nor  strength  to  fight  against  his 
fate. 


CHAPTER   XX. 


DEFIED. 

jjICHAEL  FORD  came  whistling  up  the  avenue 
to  Hazelwood  in  the  grey  dusk  of  that 
October  night.  He  was  in  a  very  com- 
placent mood — well  satisfied  with  himself; 
as  he  might  be.  He  had  done  a  good  stroke  of  busi- 
ness in  his  own  interests  at  the  brewery  that  day.  But 
one  thing  remained  uncertain,  and  unless  he  could  make 
himself  of  some  account  in  the  eyes  of  his  master's — 
nay,  his  partner's — daughter,  all  the  rest  would  be  but 
as  Dead  Sea  fruit.  He  congratulated  himself  on  his 
success  as  the  twinkling  lights  of  Hazelwood  came  in 
sight.  It  was  not  so  many  years  since  he  had  entered 
the  brewery  a  nameless  servant  at  a  small  wage,  and 
what  had  he  done  in  these  years  ?  Driven  both  the 
sons  from  the  house — for  in  an  insidious  and  scarcely 
discernible  fashion  he  had  poisoned  the  old  man's  mind, 
flattered  his  weaknesses,  given  him  encouragement  in 
his  besetting  sin,  and,  by  slow  but  sure  degrees,  made 
himself  indispensable  to  him.  And  now  there  was  a 
round  sum  in  the  Bradford  Bank  to  the  credit  of 


DEFIED.  an 

Michael  Ford,  and  the  Hazell  brewery  was  practically 
in  his  hands.  Such  was  his  work :  perhaps  he  had 
reason  to  be*proud  of  it.  And  yet  he  still  wore  the 
garb  of  that  mock  humility  which  is  the  devil's  darling 
sin.  In  spite  of  his  undoubted  success,  he  did  not  hold 
up  his  head  before  his  fellow-men  with  the  assurance 
which  an  upright  life  and  honourable  business  trans- 
actions can  give.  There  was  nothing  honourable  about 
Michael  Ford.  He  was  a  sneak,  and  yet  he  dared  to 
lift  his  eyes  to  Mary  Hazell.  Did  he  think  her  proud, 
pure  soul  could  find  any  affinity  in  his  ?  Mr.  Ford  was 
not  only  complacent  and  self-satisfied,  he  was  also  vain. 
His  diminutive  figure  was  attired  in  evening  dress,  he 
had  diamond  studs  in  his  shirt-front,  and  a  handsome 
ring  on  his  finger.  He  was  a  dandy,  but  not  manly  in 
his  appearance. 

It  was  twenty  minutes  past  six  when  he  entered  the 
house.  The  servant,  concealing  her  dislike  of  him, 
politely  waited  until  he  had  removed  his  overcoat,  and 
then  showed  him  up  to  a  dressing-room  to  change  his 
boots.  He  did  not  take  long  to  make  ready,  and,  with 
that  familiar  freedom  which  aggravated  every  servant 
in  the  house,  sought  his  own  way  to  the  drawing- 
room.  He  flourished  a  dainty  pink  silk  handkerchief 
on  the  landing,  and  filled  the  corridors  with  choice 
perfume.  He  had  omitted  none  of  the  accessories  of 
the  dandy's  toilet. 

The  drawing-room  was  empty,  for  the  ladies  had  not 
hurried  over  their  dressing.  Mr.  Hazell  was  the  first 
to  enter.  Out  of  deference  to  his  guest,  he  had  made  a 
more  elaborate  toilet  than  usual,  but  he  lonkod  ill  and 


212  HAZELL  (Sr*  SONS. 

out  of  sorts.  His  interview  with  Mary  had  not  been 
very  satisfactory.  She  was  not  at  all  pliable,  but  pos- 
sessed very  decided  opinions  of  her  own. 

'  Well,  have  you  got  up  ? '  said  the  brewer,  with  a 
feeble  smile.  '  Sit  down.  The  ladies  will  be  here 
presently.' 

'  All  well,  I  hope  ? '  said  Mr.  Ford  blandly. 

'  As  usual,  thank  you.  Mrs.  Hazell  is  not  strong. 
Well,  I  have  spoken  to  my  daughter,  and  prepared  her 
for  what  is  coming.' 

'  Ah  ! '  Mr.  Ford's  interest  suddenly  increased,  and 
he  looked  rather  anxiously  into  his  partner's  face. 

Mr.  Hazell  shook  his  head. 

'  I  can't  give  you  much  encouragement,  I  fear,'  he 
said,  and  one  might  almost  have  thought  he  had  a 
certain  pride  in  saying  it. 

'  My  daughter  has  a  proud  spirit.  In  cases  like 
these  no  third  person  can  do  much  good.  But  she 
knows  you  have  my  permission  to  address  her,  and 
she  also  knows  my  wishes  on  the  matter.  But  you 
must  do  the  rest;  you  must  make  the  best  of  your 
opportunities.' 

'  I  hope  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  speaking 
to  Miss  Hazell  alone,  then,'  said  Mr.  Ford  rather 
snappishly.  '  Miss  Eayne  sticks  to  her  like  a  burr, 
and  it's  not  likely  that  I'm  going  to  make  a  fool  of 
myself  before  two  of  'em.' 

His  tone  was  even  more  offensive  than  his  words. 
Though  Mr.  Hazell's  senses  were  already  partially  dazed 
by  his  potations,  he  felt  a  strong  desire  to  kick  the  man 
down-stairs.  Had  he  put  that  desire  into  execution 


DEFIED.  a  13 

long  before,  it  would  have  been  better  for  Hazelwood 
that  day. 

'  I  shall  see  that  you  have  opportunity,  but  I  am  not 
responsible,  as  I  told  you,  for  what  my  daughter  may 
say  to  you.  I  have  laid  my  commands  upon  her,  but 
she  is  not  obedient,  and  she  is  quite  of  age.' 

The  door  opened,  and  Ma./  entered.  Her  face  was 
very  pale,  but  exquisitely  beautiful.  She  had  made  a 
careful  toilet — a  black  lace  gown  set  off  by  bows  of 
bright  ribbons  became  her  rarely  well  The  bodice  was 
open  a  little  at  the  throat,  revealing  its  sweet  white 
contour,  a  bunch  of  bright  ash  berries  and  autumn 
leaves  making  the  face  shine  almost  dazzling  in  its 
whiteness.  A  handsome,  aristocratic-looking  girl  be- 
yond a  doubt  was  Mary  Hazell ;  and  it  could  not  be  said 
that  her  manners  were  not  touched  with  aristocratic 
repose.  Her  greeting  to  Michael  Ford  was  as  cold  as 
ice. 

Madeline  followed  in  a  few  moments,  and  dinner 
was  announced.  Mary  had,  of  course,  to  go  down-stairs 
on  the  arm  of  her  father's  partner,  but  her  white  fingers 
scarcely  touched  his  sleeve.  Had  she  obeyed  her  own 
desire,  she  would  have  gathered  up  her  skirts  lest  they 
should  come  in  contact  with  the  immaculate  dress  suit 

Conversation  at  table  was  a  little  strained  ;  Madeline, 
however,  with  her  usual  tact,  threw  herself  into  the 
breach,  and  tried  to  thaw  the  cold  atmosphere.  Unfor 
tunately  for  the  peace  of  the  host,  the  talk  turned  at 
dessert  upon  the  work-people  and  their  needs.  Mary 
made  some  remark  upon  the  vexed  question  of  the 
drainage  at  the  Rows.  There  had  been  a  prevalence  of 


214  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

low  fever  in  the  late  autumn  in  that  marshy  part  of  the 
town. 

'  I'm  going  to  make  a  change  there  soon,*  said  Mr. 
Michael  Ford,  as  he  cracked  his  walnuts  with  the  palms 
of  his  hands,  though  Mary  had  taken  the  trouble  tc 
place  the  crackers  very  pointedly  before  him.  '  They've 
just  about  worn  me  out  with  their  grumbling.  If  I 
don't  raise  the  rents  on  every  mother's  son  of  them 
before  Michaelmas,  I'll  know  the  reason  why.' 

'They  won't  pay  it,'  said  Mary  quietly,  though  her 
eyes  glowed.  '  The  rents  are  far  too  high  already.  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  house  of  Becker's  is  worth  eight 
pounds?  Eight  shillings  is  more  like  it.  I  don't 
wonder  they  are  discontented.  Just  look  at  the 
cottages  the  spinners  have  built  for  their  people  at 
a  uniform  rent  of  five  pounds.  They  are  palaces  in 
comparison  with  ours.' 

'  Excuse  me,  Miss  Mary,  but  you're  carried  away  on 
this  question.  You  must  remember  that  Coxon's  folks' 
wages  are  a  third  less  than  ours.  It  comes  to  the 
same  thing  in  the  long-run.  But  the  Eows  have  always 
been  a  hot-bed  of  rebellion  and  grumbling.  But  I'll 
promise  you  I'll  stamp  it  out.' 

'  What  will  you  do  ? ' 

Mary  leaned  a  little  forward.  It  was  a  wonder 
Michael  Ford  did  not  quail  beneath  that  look.  But  he 
had  a  splendid  opportunity  for  showing  the  magnitude 
of  his  own  power.  To  hear  him  speak,  one  might  have 
thought  him  the  absolute  head  of  the  concern,  and 
the  old  man  sitting  meekly  at  his  own  table  a  poor 
subordinate. 


DEFIED.  215 

'I'll  raise  the  rents  and  lower  the  pay,  and  those 
who  don't  like  the  new  rule  can  quit.  I  can  easily 
draft  a  lot  of  men  from  the  north.  That'll  set  them  on 
their  legs.' 

'Surely  you  won't  take  such  strong  measures, 
Michael,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  mildly,  as  he  replenished 
his  glass. 

Mary  looked  at  him  suddenly,  and  made  a  movement 
with  her  hand  towards  the  decanter.  But  for  Mr. 
Ford's  presence  she  would  have  lifted  it  from  the 
table ;  but  she  would  not  seem  to  notice  her  father's 
infirmity  before  Ford. 

'  They've  had  mild  measures  too  long,  it  strikes  me,' 
said  Mr.  Ford  gruffly. 

Mary's  face  grew  crimson,  and  she  rose  from  the  table. 

'  You  need  not  be  in  such  haste,  Mary.  Mr.  Ford 
and  I  are  not  nearly  done,'  said  Mr.  Hazell  irritably, 
yet  with  a  certain  deprecating  look  towards  his  partner. 

'  It  is  half -past  seven,  papa.  We  have  been  an  hour 
at  table.  I  must  go  and  see  whether  mamma  has  had 
her  coffee.' 

Mr.  Hazell  rose  and  opened  the  door  for  the  ladies. 
Mr.  Ford  apparently  did  not  know  what  courtesy  de- 
manded, and  sat  still  crunching  his  walnuts  rather 
savagely.  Certainly  Mary  did  not  give  him  much 
encouragement. 

'  Whatever  papa  may  say,  or  that  creature  think,  I 
•shall  not  come  to  the  drawing-room  to-night,  Lena,' 
said  Mary  indignantly,  as  they  went  up-stairs. 

'  Mary,  if  he  has  anything  to  say  to  you,  it  might  be 
as  well  to  have  it  said.  I  think  a  talking  to  him  from 


216  HAZELL  <Sr-  SONS. 

you  would  do  him  good.  It  makes  me  indignant  to 
hear  and  see  his  rudeness  to  Mr.  Hazell,'  said  Lena  a 
little  sadly. 

Mary  said  nothing,  but  her  eyes  shone.  Contrary  to 
her  expressed  intention,  she  entered  the  drawing-room, 
and  Lena,  inferring  that  she  had  taken  a  second  thought 
about  the  matter,  silently  kissed  her,  and  went  away  to 
Mrs.  HazelTs  room. 

The  gas  was  not  lighted  in  the  drawing-room,  but  the 
wood  fire  was  blazing  and  crackling  merrily  on  the  wide 
hearth,  casting  a  radiant  glow  over  all  the  pretty  room. 

Mary  leaned  her  bare  arm  on  the  cold  mantelshelf, 
and  dashed  away  a  few  angry  tears.  She  felt  bitterly 
humiliated  that  the  man  down-stairs  should  dare  to 
regard  her  as  a  possible  object  for  his  odious  affections. 
I  fear  Mary's  usual  sweet  charity  was  lacking  in  her 
judgment  of  Michael  Ford.  To  her  he  was  perfectly 
unendurable. 

She  could  hear  the  sound  of  the  voices  ascending 
from  the  dining-room,  and  something  told  her  they 
were  talking  of  her.  Bargaining  for  her,  likely,  she 
told  herself,  with  a  little  stamp  of  her  dainty  foot. 
Poor  Mary,  these  were  trying  times  for  her,  and  she 
felt  very  helpless — almost  as  if  the  meshes  of  a  web 
had  closed  about  her,  making  her  escape  impossible. 
But  she  could  not,  would  not  face  even  the  possibility 
of  being  obliged  to  think  seriously  of  any  proposal  made 
by  the  man  down-stairs. 

She  did  not  know  how  long  she  had  been  standing 
thinking  bitterly  of  the  present  and  the  future,  and 
regretfully  of  the  past,  but  it  seemed  a  long,  long  time. 


DEFIED.  817 

At  length,  however,  she  heard  the  dining-room  door 
open,  and  then  she  gave  the  bell  an  angry  pull  She 
wanted  lights  in  the  room  before  they  should  come  up. 
The  subdued,  pleasant  glow  of  the  firelight  is  only 
desirable  to  talk  by  when  we  are  with  those  we  love. 
The  maid  entered  first,  and  with  deft  fingers  drew  blind 
and  curtains  close,  and  lit  the  candles  on  the  mantel 
and  on  the  piano. 

'  Light  the  chandelier,  Kitty.  Yes,  every  jet,'  said 
Miss  Hazell  quickly,  and  the  girl  obeyed,  somewhat 
puzzled.  The  gas  was  very  seldom  lighted  at  all  in 
the  Hazelwood  drawing-room,  the  ladies  preferring  the 
soft  effects  of  candles  and  shaded  lamps. 

So  the  gentlemen  entered  the  room  in  a  blaze  of 
light.  No  sooner  did  Mr.  Hazell  observe  Mary  alone 
than  he  turned  about  quietly  and  slipped  away  down- 
stairs, rather  shamefacedly,  it  must  be  told,  for  Mary's 
sake,  but  he  had  promised  Michael  Ford  his  opportunity. 

'This  is  nice,'  said  Mr.  Ford,  advancing  into  the 
room  and  cheerfully  rubbing  his  hands  together,  '  I 
like  this.  Plenty  of  light  and  brightness  is  the  thing 
for  me.  But  all  these  jets  will  run  up  a  pretty  little 
gas  bill ;  eh,  Miss  Mary  ? ' 

He  spoke  affably  and  familiarly,  for  a  judicious 
amount  of  champagne  had  mellowed  his  temper  and 
unloosened  his  tongue. 

Mary  turned  round,  but  did  not  remove  her  arm 
from  the  mantel.  It  was  bare  to  the  elbow.  Mr. 
Ford's  eyes  plainly  admired  its  perfect  contour,  so  she 
quickly  lowered  it  and  clasped  her  hands  before  her 
But  she  never  spoke  a  word. 

15 


218  HAZELL  <^  SONS. 

'  Won't  you  sit  down,  Miss  Mary  ? '  he  said,  then 
beginning  to  wheel  a  low  chair  towards  her. 

'  No,  thank  you.  Miss  Kayne  will  be  here  presently, 
and  we  shall  have  some  music,'  said  Mary  purposely. 
If  there  was  anything  to  be  said,  the  sooner  it  was  over 
the  better.  She  had  wrought  herself  up  to  a  pitch,  and 
Mr.  Ford  was  about  to  have  some  very  plain  things 
said  to  him. 

He  saw  his  opportunity,  and  had  no  intention  of 
allowing  it  to  slip.  '  I  hope  they  won't  be  in  a  hurry. 
It's  not  often  I  have  the  chance  of  a  few  words  with 
you,'  he  said,  looking  meaningly  at  her.  Her  colour  rose. 
It  was  not  easy  for  her  to  listen  and  keep  silence. 

'  I  suppose  your  father  has  told  you  what  I  mean  by 
coming  so  often  here,'  he  continued,  after  a  brief  pause, 
'  though,  of  course,  you  knew  well  enough  yourself. 
Don't  you  think  I've  been  patient,  and  plucky  as  well  ? 
I  haven't  forgotten  the  rebuff  you  gave  me  two  years 
ago.  It  was  pretty  hard  on  me,  though  I  admired 
your  spirit  too ;  but,  of  course,  I'm  here  on  a  different 
footing  now.' 

'  I  suppose  so,'  said  Mary  drily.  '  I  must  congratulate 
you  on  the  change  in  your  prospects  and  position.' 

'  So  he  has  told  you,  has  he  ? '  said  Mr.  Ford  easily, 
and,  leaning  against  the  table,  he  slipped  his  hands 
unconcernedly  into  his  pockets.  '  Yes,  it's  pretty  fair 
for  me,  isn't  it  ?  but  I'll  defy  any  man  to  say  I  haven't 
earned  it.  Why,  I've  toiled  in  the  interests  of  the  firm 
night  and  day.  I  deserve  my  reward.' 

'  Yes  ! '  said  Mary,  with  a  fine  indifference.  She  had 
taken  the  cluster  of  berries  from  her  corsage  and  w;is 


DEFIED.  aig 

picking  them  off  one  by  one  and  throwing  them  into 
the  fire. 

'But  as  the  whole  thins  is  to  remain  in  the  family, 
as  it  were,'  said  Mr.  Ford,  making  a  bold  stroke  with 
apparent  coolness,  though  he  kept  his  eye  rather 
nervously  on  the  face  of  the  woman  before  him.  '  The 
Priory  is  always  in  the  market  still  I've  put  in  an 
offer  for  it.  It  would  make  a  nice  home,  Miss  Mary.' 

'  It  is  a  beautiful  place/  Mary  answered  quietly. 

'Yes;  I've  put  in  an  offer  for  it,'  said  Mr.  Ford, 
drawing  himself  up  with  a  conscious  pride.  '  But  a  man 
can't  live  in  a  house  like  that  himself.  It  needs  a 
mistress.  Are  you  to  be  the  mistiess,  Miss  Mary  ?' 

Mary  picked  off  the  last  berry  with  a  little  jerk  and 
threw  it  into  the  fire.  Her  colour  was  high  enough 
now,  as  red  as  the  glowing  heat  of  the  fire. 

'It'll  all  fit  in  beautiful,  Miss  Mary/ continued  Mr. 
Ford,  encouraged  by  her  silence  and  her  downcast  eyes. 
'  It's  quite  the  thing,  you  know,  for  the  junior  partner 
to  marry  the  senior's  daughter.  You're  going  to  give 
me  a  different  answer  now,  Miss  Mary,  I  see,  and  I'm 
glad  of  it,  because  the  other  way  things  would  be  con- 
foundedly uncomfortable  all  round.' 

1  Would  they  ?     And  why  ? ' 

Nothing  could  be  more  matchless  than  the  quiet 
scorn  in  Mary  Hazell's  fine  eyes  as  she  flashed  them  on 
her  suitor's  face. 

'Oh,  just,  you  know,  the  way  I'm  situated.  The 
thing  couldn't  go  on  without  me  now.' 

'  It  went  on,  as  you  term  it,  before  you  came,  and  we 
were  ten  thousand  times  happier/  said  Mary,  her  passion 


220  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

rising.  '  It  is  my  hope  and  prayer  that  we  will  yet  be 
rid  of  your  evil  influence,  Michael  Ford,  Are  you 
waiting  for  your  answer  ?  You  shall  have  it.  This  is 
the  last  time  you  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  insulting 
me.  I  know  you  have  my  poor  father  so  far  in  your 
power,  but  that,  too,  will  come  to  an  end.  I  wish  you 
a  very  good  evening,  Mr.  Ford.' 

'  Oh,  that's  how  it's  to  be,  my  lady,  is  it  ? '  said  Mr. 
Ford,  rapidly  changing  his  tone,  and  darkening  his 
brow  with  a  scowl.  '  Very  well :  we'll  see.  Do  you 
know,  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  ruin  the  old  man,  and 
bring  Hazelwood  to  the  hammer.  There  isn't  a  penny 
in  the  concern  I  can't  lay  my  finger  on ;  and  I  will,  to 
pay  you  out  for  the  way  you've  tramped  on  me.  You're 
looking  at  me  now  as  if  I  were  the  dirt  beneath  your 
feet,  but  I'll  humble  you  yet.' 

'  Do  your  worst,'  said  Mary,  and  a  sweet,  cold  smile 
dawned  on  her  face.  '  There  is  justice  and  mercy  in 
Heaven.  I  am  only  a  poor  weak  girl,  but  I  defy  you, 
Mr.  Michael  Ford.  If  you  have  robbed  us  of  our  all,  it 
will  bring  you  no  blessing,  but  a  curse.  So  now  you 
know  my  opinion  of  you.  There  has  been  no  day 
within  the  last  two  years,  since  you  drove  my  brothers 
from  home,  when  I  have  not  longed  to  tell  you  what  I 
felt  towards  you.  I  have  told  you  now,  and  I'll  sleep 
the  sounder  for  it  to-night.' 

He  had  no  opportunity  to  reply  to  these  scathing 
words,  spoken  with  a  haughty  and  contemptuous 
demeanour,  which  gave  them  a  double  sting. 

Such  was  the  final  issue  of  the  wooing  of  Michael 
Ford. 


CHAPTER  XXL 


FANNING    THE    FIKE. 

HERE  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of  excitement 
abroad  in  Paradise  Row  and  Back  Row.  It 
was  a  cold,  hard  night,  and  there  was  a  high 
north  wind  blowing.  Some  ominous  black 
clouds  were  scudding  across  the  sky,  and  seemed  to  give 
a  promise  of  snow.  Winter  was  to  fall  early  that  year 
by  all  indications ;  every  leaf  was  stripped  from  the 
trees,  a  most  unusual  thing  so  early  in  November.  That 
day  was  the  fifth  of  the  month,  the  Guy  Fawkes  Day, 
dear  to  the  heart  of  every  schoolboy.  It  was  pitch 
dark  There  was  no  moon,  and  the  stars  were  few. 
But  the  folks  at  the  Rows  could  make  light  for  them- 
selves, for  there  was  a  bonfire  lit  in  the  ground  attached 
to  the  school,  and  on  the  window-sills  there  were 
fastened  some  rude  lamps  of  wick  dipped  in  naphtha, 
which  made  a  flare  in  the  darkness.  There  were  people 
hurrying  about  the  place,  and,  of  course,  a  ring  of 
excited  children  gathered  round  the  bonfire,  which  was 
being  replenished  constantly  with  all  sorts  of  combus- 
tible stuff.  Had  Mr.  Hazell  or  his  manager  been  on  the 

til 


z*a  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

spot,  they  would  have  been  amazed  and  horrified.  It 
was  the  woodwork  of  the  outhouses  pertaining  to  the 
dwellings  at  the  Rows  which  was  being  pulled  down  to 
keep  up  a  merry  blaze. 

When  eight  o'clock  came  pealing  from  the  town 
clock,  the  scattered  folks  began  to  gather  in  the  school 
enclosure.  Near  the  door  there  were  two  huge  up- 
turned boxes,  which  made  a  kind  of  platform,  and  about 
which  the  folks  thronged  most. 

There  was  a  meeting  in  contemplation  evidently,  and 
eight  o'clock  seemed  to  be  the  hour  at  which  the 
proceedings  were  to  commence. 

While  they  waited,  presumably,  for  the  speakers,  a 
constant  hum  of  talk  was  kept  up.  There  were  angry 
voices  heard  occasionally,  and  all  faces  wore  a  kind  of 
reckless  look.  Perhaps  they  were  about  to  take  the 
law  into  their  own  hands  at  the  Eows. 

The  women  were  all  out,  some  with  infants  wrapped 
in  shawls,  and  little  things  scarcely  able  to  walk  cling- 
ing to  their  skirts.  It  was  a  woman's  question  as  much 
as  a  man's  that  was  to  be  discussed  that  night, — a 
question  affecting  fire,  food,  and  clothing ;  in  a  word, 
the  question  of  existence  was  to  be  looked  into.  Exist- 
ence had  of  late  become  a  hard  matter  for  the  employees 
at  Hazell  &  Ford's. 

The  men  were  all  in  their  working  garb,  so  were  the 
leaders,  or  speakers,  who  came  forward  presently  and 
got  up  on  the  box.  There  were  three  of  them,  Jem 
Becker,  Joe  Tufnell,  and  Tim  Pilkins.  Becker  was  the 
ringleader,  and  the  prime  agitator  in  this  movement. 
Perhaps,  as  the  father  of  twelve,  he  found  existence  a 
degree  harder  than  the  majority.  Susan,  eager-eyed, 


FANNING  THE  FIRE.  223 

pinched,  and  hollow-cheeked,  with  the  inevitable  baby 
at  her  breast,  was  in  the  very  forefront  of  the  crowd. 
The  flickering  light  from  the  naphtha  lamps  shining  on 
her  haggard  face  gave  her  a  strange,  wild  look.  Alto- 
gether, it  was  a  strange,  wild  scene,  which  might  well 
have  puzzled  any  uninitiated  onlooker.  '  Go  on,  Becker,' 
cried  one  or  two  voices  from  the  crowd,  growing  impa- 
tient for  the  proceedings  to  commence.  '  Go  on,  Jemmy, 
an'  give  it  'em  'ot,  specially  the  black  'un,'  cried  another. 
'  Lay  the  motions  afore  the  meetiii'.' 

Becker  was  in  close  conversation  with  two  beside 
him  on  the  box,  and  the  faces  of  the  trib  wore  a  look  of 
dogged  determination. 

'  Well,  men,'  said  Becker,  giving  a  short  rap  on  the 
box  with  a  stick  in  order  to  command  attention.  '  I 
s'pose  the  meetin'  had  better  begin.  We've  met  here 
for  to  consider  the  state  o'  things  at  Hazell's,  aren't  we  ? ' 

'Yes,  we  are,  an'  we  will  consider  'em,  ay,  an'  maybe  act 
on  'em  too/  cried  two  or  three  in  response,  a  statement 
which  was  received  with  general  tokens  of  approbation. 

'  Well,  we're  agreed  on  that  point,  an'  on  another  as 
well,  I  guess,'  continued  Becker.  '  It's  the  general 
opinion  of  this  meetin'  that  things  is  not  as  they  should 
be  at  Hazell's.  I  don't  s'pose  any  ov  ye  wishes  me  to 
say  Hazell  an'  Ford.' 

A  deep  groan,  not  unmingled  with  a  few  curses,  was 
the  verdict  on  this  question. 

'  There  was  a  time,'  said  Becker,  when  the  noise  had 
ay.iin  subsided,  '  when  'twarn't  no  bad  thing  to  be  a  dray- 
man or  workman  of  any  kind  at  Hazell's.  That  was  in 
Mr.  Robert's  time,  at  the  beginning  ov  it,  afore  the  black 
un  goi  his  finger  in  the  pie.  Three  cheers  for  Mr.  Robert.' 


224  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

The  cheers  were  heartily  given,  •  for  the  memory  of 
Robert  Hazell  was  still  green  and  sweet  among  the 
brewery  hands. 

'Ay,  'twas  good  enough  then  for  any  man  ov  us. 
There  warn't  no  grumblin'  at  pay-days,  nor  no  meddlin' 
wi'  folks'  rent  an'  sich-like,  an'  always  a  kind  word  an' 
smile  to  help  us  on.  'Twas  a  bad  day  for  us  all,  mates, 
when  the  black  'un  got  the  young  master  turned  away. 
It's  gone  on  from  bad  to  worse.  We  growled  when  the 
pays  was  all  tuk  down,  ay,  twice  over,  but  we  stopped 
on,  an'  didn't  make  no  difference  for  the  old  name's 
sake.  But  now'  it's  got  to  be  more  than  flesh  and  blood 
can  stand.  We've  been  put  upon  till  we  ain't  fit  to 
stand  it,  an'  we  won't.  There  ain't  nothing  bad  or  mean, 
or  stingy,  that  the  black  'un  hasn't  done  to  us;  an' 
what  we've  mainly  met  'ere  to  consider  is  how  many  ov 
us  is  goin'  to  serve  under  the  new  rule.  How  many  ov 
ye,  mates,  are  goin'  to  lift  yer  caps  and  bow  down  to 
the  new  partner,  Mr.  Michael  Ford,  Esquire,  the  new 
member  of  the  firm  ? ' 

This  ironical  question  was  received  with  grim  laughter, 
and  with  a  general  cry  of  '  Not  one  ov  us,  Jemmy — not 
one  ov  us ! ' 

'  P'raps  you'd  all  like  to  know  who  the  new  partner 
is  ? '  continued  Becker  in  the  same  sarcastic  tone.  '  He 
belongs  to  a  very  haristocratic  family — one  ov  the 
oldest  families  in  Wiggin !  All  the  ladies  ov  the  family 
'ave  been  famed  for  their  strong  arms  an'  their  long 
tongues  at  the  pithead.  We  ought  to  give  three  cheers, 
mates,  for  the  pithead  girl's  son,  who  is  our  revered 
master,  as  we  are  his  'umble  servants.  But  I  must 
leave  them  'ighly  interestin'  items  a  be,  my  mates,  an' 


FANNING  THE  FIRE.  «s 

get  to  business.  Well,  we  all  know  wot  has  'appened 
while  the  black  'un  'as  been  'ere  among  us.  He  began 
wery  'umble — he  was  the  under  clerk  as  you'll  all 
remember,  an*  because  he's  been  a  sneak  an'  a  coward, 
he  wormed  himself  round  the  old  master  until  he  knew 
a  sight  too  much.  To  begin  at  the  beginmn',  who  kept 
Mr.  Robert  out  ov  his  own,  an'  preventit  him  a-takin' 
ov  the  Priory  for  his  young  wife,  as  sweet  a  young 
lady  as  ever  stepped  ?  Who  druv  him  away  from  the 
brewery  ?  Who  made  him  take  that  beggarly  situation 
at  Burnley  ?  an'  who  keeps  him  there  at  a  servant's 
wage  ?  Isn't  it  our  new  master,  mates,  the  black  'un, 
as  we've  christened  'im,  an"  the  name's  a  sight  too  good 
for  him  yet  ? 

'Who  kept  the  old  master's  anger  hot  agin  Mister 
Herbert  when  he  married  Gregory's  girl,  an'  never 
rested  till  he  got  'im  sent  across  the  seas  ?  That  was 
the  black  'un  too,  an'  then  he  got  the  field  to  hisself ; 
an'  wot  we've  got  to  consider  now,  mates,  is  what  he's 
done  in  that  time  down  to  now.  It's  a  pretty  story,  the 
pity  as  we've  got  it  so  well  by  'eart,  an'  that  our  wives 
an'  chillin  'ave  got  it  so  well  by  'eart  through  their 
empty  stomachs.  You'll  all  remember  just  afore  the 
time  when  Mister  Robert  got  his  leave  there  wur  a  talk 
o'  drainin'  the  land  all  about  the  houses  an'  a-givin'  us 
healthy  air  to  breathe  an'  dry  places  to  sleep  in.  That 
was  Miss  Mary's  doin',  an'  but  for  the  black  'un  she'd  "a 
carried  it  through.  She  'ad  a  woman's  'eart  to  feel  for 
us  an'  the  children.  I'll  never  forget  how  she  came  to 
see  Susan  there  when  little  Dick  was  born,  an'  the  wine 
an'  stuff  she  sent  from  the  house ;  but  the  black  'un 
has  put  an  end  to  all  that.  I  s'pose  he  talked  to  the 


226  UAZELL  &  SOWS. 

old  master,  an'  told  him  we  were  a  set  o'  ungrateful, 
discontented  dogs,  as  he  has  told  us  to  our  faces  mauy  a 
time ;  an'  so  the  drains  were  never  made,  an'  the  chillin 
kept  on  pinin'  away,  and  we  got  rheumatics  in  all  our 
joints,  an'  everything  was  bad  an'  wrong,  an'  there's  no 
redress.  And  now  we  come  to  the  crownin'  point, 
which  is  that  our  rents  has  been  riz  for  the  third  time 
in  two  year.  Mates,  are  we  or  are  we  not  goin'  to  put 
another  hard-earned  sixpence  a  week  into  the  black 
'un's  pocket  ?  The  motion  afore  the  meetin'  is  that  we 
refuse  to  pay  the  increase.' 

'  Yes,  yes,  we  won't  pay,  curse  him  !  the  houses  is  too 
dear  already.  Holes  fit  for  pigs,  with  the  rain  running 
down  the  walls,  an'  the  damp  oozin'  up  through  the 
floors  like  to  choke  us.  No,  no,  we  won't  pay  another 
halfpenny  !  we'll  quit  first.' 

'  Show  hands,  all  that's  for  holdin'  out,  then,'  said 
Becker,  and  in  an  instant  one  hundred  were  uplifted, 
foremost  among  them  poor  Susan's  skinny  right  arm,  for 
this  question  was  one  of  life  or  death  to  her.  Her 
children,  a  sickly,  puny  lot,  were  dwining  away  before 
her  very  eyes  into  the  grave.  She  herself  had  a  hollow 
chest  with  a  pain  and  a  cough  in  it,  which  racked  her 
feeble  frame  beyond  its  endurance.  Her  many  cares, 
and  brooding  over  her  wrongs,  had  weakened  her  mind, 
and  she  was  rea'ly  to  join  in  any  revolt. 

'  The  black  'un  hates  me,  mates,  an'  always  has,  since 
Miss  Mary  got  the  master  to  take  me  on  again.  The 
pit  was  bad  enough,  and  little  pay,  but  it  wasn't  no 
worse  than  this,  an'  a  man  had  freedom  to  do  his  work 
What  do  we  get  now  for  our  work,  mates  ?  Nothin' 
but  growls  and  scowls,  an'  a  good  swearin'  for  the  least 


FANNING  THE  FIRE.  az? 

trifle.  The  very  horses  at  Hazell's  knows  the  difference, 
an'  don't  step  out  as  they  used.  I've  watched  'em 
mysel'  walkin'  wi'  their  heads  hangin',  just  as  if  they 
knew  times  was  changed.  In  the  old  days  Hazell's 
drays  were  a  sight,  there  were  none  handsomer  stepped  ; 
but  now' —  Here  Becker  gave  his  head  a  melancholy 
shake. 

'  You're  away  from  the  pint,  Jemmy.  It's  whether 
we're  to  quit  or  not  ? '  cried  an  impatient  voice  from 
the  crowd. 

'  Well,  to-day,  as  you  know,  Tim  here  an'  Joey  an' 
me  went  to  the  hoffice  to  make  our  complaint.  We 
axed  for  the  old  master,  but  do  you  think  we  saw  'im  ? 
No,  the  black  'un  took  care  o'  that.  So  we  said  our 
Bay  pretty  strong,  lads,  Tim  an'  me,  to  the  black  'un, 
an'  without  much  show  of  humbleness.  An'  now  for 
what  'he  said.  I  guess  that's  wot  we're  gathered 
together  to  hear,  an'  decide  upon.' 

The  crowd  was  now  worked  up  into  a  state  of  breath- 
less excitement  and  suspense. 

1  He  said  that  if  we  weren't  pleased  with  our  houses 
an'  our  wages,  mates,  that  we  could  clear  out  as  fast's 
we  liked,  for  he  had  a  band  o'  new  hands  waitin'  on 
the  job.  He  said  we'd  been  wasted  an'  spiled  with  too 
much  indulgence,  an'  that  he  was  a-goin'  to  set  his  foot 
down  on  us  now  firm.  Tim  ail'  Joey,  warn't  these 
the  words  ? ' 

'  They  were,  curse  'im ! '  responded  Tim,  with  a 
scowl,  and  a  general  ex  elm  nation  of  rage  broke  from  the 
crowd.  Could  the  new  member  of  the  firm  only  have 
heard  what  was  being  said  about  him,  he  might  have 
trembled  in  his  shoes. 


228  HAZELL  &•  SONS. 

'  It's  been  like's  if  the  devil  himself  had  entered 
into  the  black  'un  this  week,'  continued  Becker  grimly, 
4  an'  I'm  goin'  to  tell  ye  wot  it  means.  Eosanna 
Keeling,  wot  is  under-'ousemaid  at  the  Hall,  'appened  to 
overhear  summat  wot  passed  atween  the  black  'un  an' 
Miss  Mary.  He  has  got  the  right-about-face  fra  Miss 
Mary,  mates,  an'  Rosanna  says  all  the  things  she  said 
to  him  were  just  awful.  She  was  as  mad  as  mad  could 
be ;  an'  so,  becos  Miss  Mary  knows  wot  he  is,  an'  has 
told  him  without  any  varnish,  he's  goin'  to  do  for  the 
whole  concern.  Suppose  we  do  for  him  instead,  an' 
save  the  old  name  an'  the  old  master ! ' 

'Hurrah!' 

The  approbation  with  which  this  proposition  was 
received  was  not  to  be  mistaken  nor  misunderstood. 
Michael  Ford  was  hated  with  a  deep,  black,  bitter 
hatred  by  the  men  whose  master  he  had  become. 

'  If  we're  to  quit, — an'  I  guess  though  we  stayed  on 
we'd  find  the  new  rule  as  bad  as  slavery, — but  if  we're 
to  quit  we'd  better  show  the  black  'un  wot  we  think  o' 
him.  Shall  we  make  a  polite  evenin'  call  on  Mr. 
Michael  Ford,  Esquire,  of  Hazell  an'  Ford,  at  his 
residence  in  Mill  Street  ? ' 

Becker  had  a  command  of  sarcasm  which  his  listeners 
greatly  relished.  Before  the  merriment  occasioned  by 
this  sally  had  subsided,  a  new  feature  was  introduced 
into  the  proceedings.  Susan  Becker,  with  a  sudden 
gesture,  stepped  up  on  the  platform  beside  her  husband, 
and,  throwing  back  her  shawl,  showed  her  sleeping 
infant  to  the  crowd. 

'  There  hasn't  been  half  enough  said,'  she  cried 
shrilly.  '  You  wants  a  woman  to  call  things  by  their 


FANNING  THE  FIRE.  229 

right  name.  It's  the  women  folk,  anyway,  who  'ave 
the  worst  of  it.  When  I  sees  my  babbies  dyin'  by 
inches  afore  my  eyes,  an'  know  I've  one  fut  in  the 
grave,  all  through  livin"  in  sech  a  hole,  I  calls  it 
murder,  an'  I  axes,  what's  done  to  the  man  wot 
commits  murder  ?  Isn't  he  hanged  by  the  law  ?  An' 
if  it  is  sech  that  the  law  can't  touch  Ford,  then,  if 
you're  men,  you'll  take  law  into  yer  own  hands.  Let's 
give  'im  a  fright  he  won't  forget.  Pull  'im  through  the 
river  fra  the  brewery  to  here,  an'  ax  him  how  he  likes 
the  taste  o'  the  bad  drainage — that's  wot  I  say.' 

It  was  like  pouring  oil  on  the  flames.  As  Susan 
stepped  down  a  fearful  hubbub  arose.  There  was  the 
sound  of  loud,  excited  voices,  and  bitter  threats  of 
revenge  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth.  Nobody  could 
ever  tell  who  suggested  it  first,  but  it  was  really  Susan, 
who  put  a  torch  into  one  of  her  sons'  hands  and  bade 
him  lead  the  way  to  the  brewery.  The  thing  was 
understood  at  once,  and  the  heated  imaginations  were 
easily  fired.  Almost  in  an  instant  the  crowd  turned, 
as  if  by  one  accord,  round  by  the  head  of  the  Rows  to 
cross  the  piece  of  waste  land  behind  the  brewery.  It 
was  a  beaten  path  which  Hazell's  men,  passing  and 
repassing  to  their  homes,  had  made  a  kind  of  right-of- 
way,  though  in  reality  the  ground  belonged  to  the  town. 
It  was  a  short  cut ;  the  distance  between  the  brewery 
and  the  Rows  could  be  covered  in  four  or  five  minutes. 
When  the  proceedings  of  that  night  came  to  be 
investigated,  it  was  asked  where  the  police  were  that 
such  a  riot  could  take  place  out  of  their  knowledge. 
It  was  then  shown  that  the  Rows,  being  outside  the 
town,  were  not  under  surveillance,  and  also  that  the 


23o  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

rioters  had  taken  the  back  road  to  the  brewery,  on 
which  they  were  absolutely  screened  from  observation. 
The  pile  of  buildings  was  so  extensive  and  so  high  that 
they  made  a  perfect  screen  for  any  operations  being 
carried  on  at  the  back  premises.  The  policeman  on  his 
beat  in  Mill  Street  said  he  heard  nothing,  but  it 
transpired  afterwards  that  he  had  been  enjoying  a 
drink  of  beer  in  the  '  Base-Ball '  at  the  very  time  when 
the  rioters  arrived  at  the  brewery.  Michael  Ford  was 
still  living  in  the  house  above  the  offices,  though  the 
negotiations  for  the  purchase  of  the  Priory  were  still  in 
motion.  He  was  from  home  that  night,  but  his  house- 
keeper, alarmed  by  the  barking  of  the  watchdog,  came 
hurrying  down  to  see  what  was  the  matter ;  and  the 
night-watchman,  smoking  in  his  box,  also  peered  out 
anxiously,  and  hearing  the  hubbub  over  the  back-wall, 
went  and  opened  the  workmen's  door ;  and  then  there 
was  a  brief  space  of  unutterable  confusion,  as  the  men, 
women,  and  children  poured  into  the  enclosure.  Nobody 
knew  how  or  when  or  by  what  hand  it  had  been  done ; 
but  not  long  after  that  smoke  began  to  curl  up  to  the 
dark  night  sky,  and  immediately  0ne  fierce  flame  made 
a  lurid  glare  over  the  sea  of  faces  in  the  place. 

'  The  black  'un  will  have  to  pay  dear  for  his  right  to 
the  brewery,'  whispered  Becker,  with  a  grim  smile,  as 
he  pointed  to  the  flames.  The  fierce  wind  sweeping 
across  the  open  common  fanned  the  fire,  and  within  an 
hour,  before  any  preventive  measures  could  be  taken, 
wind  and  flames  together  made  the  ruin  of  Hazell's  a 
certainty  which  no  man  could  set  aside. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

TUB  CASHIER'S  HOME. 

T  was  a  pretty  little  room,  the  drawing-room 
of  the  cashier's  house  at  the  Lady  well  mines. 
Certainly  the  view  from  the  windows  was 
not  particularly  beautiful,  for  it  was  a  great 
mining  district,  and  instead  of  green,  low  hills,  there 
were  mountains  of  black  refuse  to  look  out  upon,  varied 
by  the  tall  chimneys  and  the  clusters  of  works  at  the 
summits  of  the  various  shafts.  There  was  a  bit  of 
garden  attached  to  the  house.  There  was  nothing  in  it, 
however,  but  some  blackened,  stunted  grass,  which  was 
an  eyesore  to  the  cashier  and  his  wife.  The  house  was 
commodious  for  a  small  family,  and  was  well-finished 
within.  The  drawing-room  was  all  that  a  tasteful 
woman's  skilful  hands  could  make  it,  and  was  like  a 
little  picture,  especially  when  a  cheerful  fire  burned  in 
the  pretty  tiled  grate,  which  was  an  improvement  they 
had  added  at  their  own  expense.  There  were  two 
windows  draped  in  oriental  muslin  of  negative  tints, — 
Lucy  Hazell  was  too  good  a  housewife  to  attempt  white 
lace  or  muslin  in  the  atmosphere  of  Burnley, — but  the 

131 


232  HAZELL  dr-  SONS. 

effect  was  novel  and  artistic.  The  prevailing  colour  of 
the  room  was  a  delicate  but  serviceable  shade  of  sage- 
green  ;  but  it  was  relieved  by  many  bright  spots,  and 
the  pictures  and  ornaments  were  of  the  very  best. 
There  were  a  few  sensible  sorts  of  plants  about,  graceful 
palms  and  hardy  ferns  from  the  Clieveden  greenhouse 
— no  delicate  flower  survived  long  in  Burnley.  Lucy 
very  much  missed  the  wealth  of  cut  flowers  to  which 
she  had  been  accustomed  at  Clieveden,  but  she  made 
the  best  of  .what  she  had. 

She  was  sitting  embroidering  a  child's  frock  towards 
the  close  of  a  November  afternoon.  The  light  was 
rapidly  failing,  and  she  had  gone  over  to  the  window  to 
catch  the  pale  sunset  glow  for  the  last  stitches  of  her 
work.  The  basiuette,  with  her  first-born  son  asleep  in  it, 
was  standing  on  the  hearthrug.  As  yet  there  was  not  a 
nursery  in  the  cashier's  house,  nor  a  nursemaid.  One 
servant — a  capable,  energetic  woman — was  all  their 
means  would  admit ;  but  Mrs.  Robert  Hazell  had  been 
taught  to  use  her  hands.  She  looked  very  sweet  and 
happy  as  she  sewed  on,  weaving  a  mother's  fond  hopes 
into  her  work.  She  was  happy  :  her  life  was  without  a 
care.  Their  income  was  not  large  ;  certainly  it  required 
skilful  management  to  make  it  cover  expenses  and  leave 
a  margin,  but  what  is  hardly  earned  is  always  sweet, 
and  the  spending  of  it  gives  a  peculiar  pleasure.  Eobert 
Hazell  was  doing  a  good  work  at  Burnley,  and  the 
influence  of  the  young  couple,  who  had  given  up  some- 
thing for  conscience'  sake,  was  making  itself  felt  among 
the  miners.  The  sunset  glory  was  very  short-lived,  and 
at  length  Mrs.  Hazell  had  to  lay  her  work  down.  She 
leaned  back  in  her  chair  and  watched  for  the  sight  of 


THE  CASHIER'S  HOME.  133 

her  husband  coming  down  the  cinder  path  between  the 
shafts.  It  wanted  but  a  few  minutes  of  their  dinner- 
hour.  While  she  was  watching,  she  caught  sight  of 
another  figure  coming  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the 
railway  station — a  young  lady  walking  very  smartly 
apparently  towards  their  house.  The  light  had  grown  so 
uncertain  that  Lucy  did  not  recognise  the  lady  at  all, 
and  waited  with  some  curiosity  until  she  rang  the  belL 
She  heard  some  one  running  up-stairs,  two  steps  at  a 
time,  and  the  next  minute  Mary  burst  into  the  room 
with  her  face  all  aglow. 

'  Mary,  is  it  really,  really  you  ?  My  darling,  I  am  so 
glad  to  see  you  ! ' 

They  kissed  each  other  and  cried  a  little,  as  was 
natural.  Remember,  they  had  not  seen  each  other  for 
more  than  a  year,  and  that  a  great  deal  had  happened 
in  the  interval 

'  How  did  you  come  ?  Did  Mr.  Hazell  say  you 
might  ? ' 

'  No,  he  didn't.  He'll  be  mad  when  he  knows.  But 
he's  in  bed  to-day,  ill,  and  I  didn't  ask  him.  Oh,  Lucy 
Hazell,  I'm  so  wretched  I  think  I'll  die.  I  had  to  come 
and  see  Robert.  Where  is  he  ?  I  hope  he  isn't  away 
from  home,  because  I  can't  stay  long,  and  I  may  never 
have  the  chance  to  come  back.' 

'  He  will  be  in  almost  immediately,  Mary.  Dinner 
is  just  ready.  Let  me  take  off  your  hat  No,  you  shall 
not  be  bothered  to  go  up-stairs.  There  now.  Let  me 
show  you  baby.  Just  think,  you  have  never  seen  the 
darling.' 

Lucy  Hazell  was  a  wise  woman.  Instead  of  asking 
a  string  of  questions  about  what  was  troubling  h«w 


234  HAZELL  6-  SONS. 

sister-in-law,  she  tried  to  divert  her  mind  at  once 
Mary  had  never  seen  the  new  member  of  her  brother's 
household,  and,  catching  sight  of  the  cradle  at  that 
moment,  she  darted  forward  and  knelt  down  beside  it. 
Of  course,  it  behoved  the  precious  baby  to  wake  up 
instantly  and  reveal  his  lovely  eyes.  Mary  lifted  him 
very  tenderly  from  his  warm  nest,  and  her  tears  fell  on 
his  head. 

'  So  this  is  Eobert  Meredith  Hazell.  God  bless  him 
and  his  dear  mother  for  evermore/  she  said,  and,  leaning 
forward,  she  kissed  Lucy  with  a  sister's  kiss.  Then  she 
sat  down  by  the  fire  with  the  little  one  on  her  lap,  and 
the  two  women  fell  into  a  womanly  talk,  and  for  a 
moment  Mary  forgot  her  own  harassing  care.  So 
Eobert  found  them  when  he  came  in  nearly  half  an  hour 
late  for  dinner. 

'  Mary,  Mary,  is  it  really  you  ? '  His  voice  had  a 
tremor  in  it  as  he  took  his  sister  to  his  heart.  Even 
Lucy  did  not  know  how  much  he  had  felt  the  complete 
breach  between  him  and  his  own  kindred.  It  had  been 
a  trial  of  no  ordinary  kind  for  Eobert  Hazell. 

'  les,  and  she  has  seen  baby  and  thinks  him  lovely. 
And  now  we  are  going  to  have  dinner,  and  be  as  happy 
as  possible,  and  forget  care  for  a  little,'  said  Lucy 
quickly,  seeing  that  a  question  was  on  her  husband's 
lips.  '  Oh,  Mary,  had  I  only  known  of  your  coming, 
what  would  I  not  have  made  for  dinner  in  honour  of  you  ! 
Can  you  take  stewed  beef  and  a  very  plain  pudding  ? ' 

'  A  dry  crust  from  you,  Lucy,  would  taste  sweet, 
because  it  would  be  flavoured  with  love,' answered  Mary, 
jvith  a  tremulous  smile. 

So  they  went  down  together  to  the  cosy  little  dining 


THE  CASHIER'S  HOME.  235 

room,  and  Mary  broke  bread  for  the  first  time  at  her 
brother's  table.  They  were  very  tender  with  her,  for 
they  saw  that  her  heart  was  sore  about  something,  and 
they  would  do  all  that  love  could  to  lighten  her  care. 

'  Now,  Hubert  and  you  can  have  the  drawing-room  for 
your  quiet  talk,'  said  Lucy,  when  they  rose  from  the  table. 

'  You  will  come  too,  Lucy ;  I  have  no  secrets  from 
Bob's  wife,'  said  Mary  affectionately. 

'  Oh,  I'll  be  coming  out  and  in  with  baby,  and  I'll  be 
listening  too,'  said  Lucy,  with  a  nod  and  a  smile. 

Eobert  was  a  trifle  anxious.  He  saw  that  Mary  was 
excited,  and  he  had  heard  of  late  many  rumours  con- 
cerning the  affairs  of  his  own  people.  But  he  was  hardly 
prepared  for  what  Mary  had  to  tell  him. 

'  Oh,  Bob,  I  have  been  so  longing  to  see  you.  Things 
are  so  terrible  at  home.  You  have  heard,  of  course,  that 
the  firm  is  changed,'  she  began,  the  moment  they  had 
entered  the  drawing  room. 

Kobert  started.  '  No,  I  have  been  down  at  Wigan 
for  a  week,  and  only  returned  yesterday,  so  I  have 
heard  no  news.  What  has  happened  ? ' 

'  It  is  Hazell  &  Ford  now,  and  that  fearful  man  has 
got  papa  completely  in  his  power.  I  believe  we  are 
nearly  beggars.' 

'  Oh,  nonsense,  Molly  !  It  is  quite  impossible  in  so 
short  a  tima' 

'  It  is  quite  true.  You  know  papa  has  been  getting 
weaker  and  weaker  of  late.  His  intellect  is  not  at  all 
what  it  was.  I  believe  that  it  was  Ford  who  taught 
papa  to  take  too  much.  At  least  I  am  sure  that  he 
encouraged  him  in  it,  so  that  he  might  get  a  firmer  hold.' 

'  And  the  fellow  lias  got  himself  made  a  partner,'  said 


236  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

Robert  '"Well,  upon  my  word,  he  has  made  a  rapid 
rise.  He  is  clever  enough  anyhow ;  but  how  do  you 
know  that  papa's  affairs  are  in  an  embarrassed  state  ? ' 

'  Papa  told  me  first,'  said  Mary,  and  her  colour 
heightened;  'and  that  odious  creature  told  me  too.  Oh, 
Robert,  I  do  not  know  how  I  am  to  tell  you  it  all. 
He  has  asked  me  to  marry  him,  and  papa  wishes  it, 
and  I  fear  I  must,  to  save  papa  from  ruin,  though 
[  would  rather  die.' 

Robert  Hazell's  colour  rose  also,  it  was  with  anger, 
not  with  embarrassment. 

'  My  darling,  don't  distress  yourself.  It  is  needless. 
Marry  Ford !  That  would  be  a  pretty  story.  Why 
did  you  not  come  to  me  long  since  ?' 

'  Oh,  I  daren't !  You  don't  know  papa.  He  gets 
into  such  fearful  passions  if  we  do  the  least  thing. 
I  daren't  have  come.  For  myself,  I  would  not  have 
minded  his  anger  much,  but  it  made  mamma  so  ill  to 
have  these  scenes.  We  were  glad  to  be  meek  and 
humble  for  peace'  sake.  That  man  and  drink  together, 
Bob,  have  ruined  Hazelwood.  I  wish  papa  had  been 
anything  but  a  brewer.' 

Robert  Hazell  said  nothing  in  reply.  He  was  walk- 
ing up  and  down  the  room,  with  his  brows  knit,  and 
his  gloomy  eyes  fixed  on  the  floor.  He  was  reproaching 
himself  for  leaving  the  old  name  and  the  old  home  to 
the  mercy  of  that  unprincipled  man,  and  yet  there  had 
seemed  no  other  course  open  to  him  at  the  time.  He 
had  had  no  idea  of  the  hold  the  love  of  strong  drink 
had  over  his  father,  nor  any  idea  either  of  the  influence 
Michael  Ford  wielded,  even  in  his  day,  in  the  brewery. 
Tie  could  scarcely  credit  the  story  Mary  had  come  to  tell. 


THE  CASHIER'S  HOME.  237 

'  When  did  you  learn  all  this,  Mary ;  or,  rather, 
when  did  things  come  to  a  crisis  ? '  he  asked  presently. 

'  Last  week — Friday  it  was — the  day  we  got  Bertie's 
letter.  Ford  came  to  dinner  that  night,  but,  before  he 
came,  papa  called  me  to  the  library,  and  told  me  he 
wished  me  to  listen  favourably  to  his  new  partner. 
Mr.  Ford  had  his  say  after  dinner.' 

Mary's  lip  curled  at  the  remembrance  of  it. 

'I  can  guess  what  your  answer  was,'  said  Kobert, 
with  a  slight  smile. 

'  It  surprised  the  new  member  of  the  firm  consider- 
ably/ said  Mary  significantly.  'He  had  some  plain 
truths  told  him.  I  only  hope  he  laid  them  to  heart. 
He  made  use  of  all  kinds  of  threats,  and  said  he  would 
beggar  us  all.  I  rang  for  Kitty  to  show  him  out  at 
last.  Wasn't  that  frightful  then,  Kobert,  to  do  to  the 
new  member  of  the  firm  ? ' 

'  It  served  him  right ;  I  only  wish  I  had  been  there 
to  give  him  a  little  assistance  down-stairs,'  said  Robert, 
with  energy. 

'  I  mustered  all  the  scorn  I  could  to  crush  him.  He 
looked  mean  enough.  He  was  frightfully  angry,  and  I 
hear  that  there  never  have  been  such  scenes  at  the 
brewery  as  there  have  been  this  week.  The  people  are 
in  a  state  of  smouldering  rebellion,  which  will  soon 
become  active.  He  wants  to  clear  out  the  Rows,  he 
says,  and  draft  in  new  men  from  the  north.  So  he  is 
taking  every  means  he  can  to  aggravate  them.  The  rents 
are  raised  again,  and  he  will  not  pay  a  farthing  of  over- 
time. He  is  a  perfect  slave-driver.  What  is  to  be  done?' 

'  What  does  papa  say  now  ?  He  knows,  of  course, 
what  answer  you  gave  that  precious  scoundrel  ? ' 


238  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  Oh  yes,  because  I  told  him  every  word.  He  went 
to  the  brewery  next  day,  and  has  been  quite  ill 
ever  since.  I  believe  there  was  a  scene.  Eobert,  it 
makes  my  blood  boil  when  I  see  how  terrified  papa  is 
for  Ford.' 

'  I  shall  put  an  end  to  that,'  said  Eobert,  with  that 
quiet  decision  which  of  yore  had  carried  such  weight 
with  it.  '  Before  we  are  twenty-four  hours  older,  Mr. 
Ford  and  I  will  understand  each  other.  If  there  is  no 
other  course  open,  I  will  advise  papa  to  retire  from  the 
concern  entirely ;  and  I  shall  see  that  Mr.  Ford  gets 
no  more  than  his  deserts.' 

'  Oh,  he  will  take  everything,  I  believe.  He  is  such 
a  man,  Eobert !  It  is  impossible  to  get  the  better  of 
him!' 

'  I  will  see  at  least  that  he  does  not  get  the  better 
of  me,'  said  Eobert,  and  his  eyes  gleamed.  He  was 
thoroughly  roused,  and  he  saw  that  immediate  action  of 
some  kind  was  absolutely  necessary. 

'  And  now,  how  are  you  to  get  home  ?  Can  you  stay 
all  night  ? ' 

'  No,  I  daren't ;  mamma  was  in  terror  lest  papa  should 
ask  where  I  had  gone.  I  don't  believe  he  will  see  you 
when  you  come,  Ford  has  poisoned  his  mind  so  against 
both  Bertie  and  you.  He  seems  to  be  convinced  that 
you  robbed  him  and  took  advantage  of  him  when  you 
were  in  the  brewery.  Oh,  it  is  a  miserable  business 
from  beginning  to  end  ! ' 

'  Its  end  has  come  any  way,'  said  Eobert  gravely. 
Are  you  there,  Lucy  ? ' 

'  Yes,  here,  dear.  Baby  has  had  his  bath,  and  Susie 
will  give  him  his  supper.  My  little  maid  is  quite 


THE  CASHIER'S  HOME.  839 

a  treasure,  Mary.  Well,  have  you  had  a  nice 
talk  ? ' 

'Ask  Bob.  There  isn't  anything  very  nice  in  it, 
Lucy/  said  Mary,  with  her  nervous  smila  '  But  it  has 
been  an  immense  relief  to  me.  Be  thankful  you  have 
a  solid,  sensible  husband,  Lucy.  It  is  a  necessary 
refuge  for  the  female  mind.' 

'  Am  I  not  thankful  and  happy  ? '  asked  Lucy,  with 
a  sweet,  tender  smile,  which  found  an  answering 
tenderness  in  her  husband's  eyes. 

'  Lucy  is  an  angel,  Mary,'  he  said  quickly.  '  Look 
what  I  have  given  her  in  exchange  for  Clieveden,  which 
you  used  often  to  say  was  an  earthly  paradise!  And 
yet  she  is  happy.  She  would  even  try  to  make  me 
believe  she  prefers  this  little  box  to  any  place  she  has 
ever  seen  or  heard  of.' 

'  So  I  do.  Oh,  Robert,  how  can  you  say  such 
things  ? '  asked  Lucy,  with  a  smile  and  a  tear. 

'  I'.less  you,  my  children,'  said  Mary,  with  a  touch  of 
her  old  humour.  '  When  you  come  over  to  Hazelwood, 
Hob,  be  sure  you  bring  Lucy  and  the  baby  to  aid  the 
assault.  Perhaps  Robert  Meredith  Hazell  will  win  the 
day  with  his  grandfather.  And  now  I  must  go  away 
home.' 

'  You  and  Lucy  can  have  a  wnfab  while  I  get  the 
gig.  Yes,  we  are  quile  grand.  Mr.  Edwardes  keeps  a 
light  trap  here,  and  the  use  of  it  is  mine,  or  Lucy's 
rather.  She  wheedled  it  out  of  him  with  that  smile  of 
hers.  I'll  drive  you  over,  and  we  can  talk  by  the 
way.' 

In  half  an  hour  Mary  was  sitting  by  her  brother's 
side  in  the  coalmaster's  gig,  and  the  high-spirited  horee 


240  HAZELL  &  SOWS. 

was  making  short  work  of  the  hilly  road  betwixt 
Burnley  and  Medlington. 

'  See,  Bob,  what  a  curious  glare  is  in  the  sky.  Is 
that  not  at  Medlington  ? '  said  Mary  suddenly,  as  they 
mounted  the  crest  of  the  last  hill,  and  the  whole  valley 
of  the  Med  was  before  them. 

"'  Yes,  it's  at  Medlington,  Mary,'  said  Eobert  slowly. 
'  There's  a  fire  somewhere.' 

He  did  not  express  the  apprehension  which  took 
possession  of  him.  They  both  watched  in  silence  the 
sullen  glow  overspreading  the  dark  night  sky,  until 
they  had  driven  another  mile,  and  then  the  flames  and 
smoke  came  in  sight. 

'  It  is  the  brewery,  Mary  ;  don't  you  think  so  ? ' 

'  I  am  afraid  of  it,'  said  Mary,  growing  very  white,  and 
cowering  close  into  her  brother.  '  What  can  it  mean  ? ' 

'  I  suspect  it  is  the  work  of  revenge,  if  the  people 
are  in  the  state  you  described  to  me,'  said  Eobert. 
'  We  had  better  drive  round  that  way.  We  may  be 
in  time  to  prevent  further  mischief.  I  believe  I  could 
command  attention  yet ;  and  they  adore  you.  See, 
Mary,  the  offices  are  in  flames.  It  is  a  mighty 
burning.' 

Ay,  it  was  a  mighty  burning,,  and  by  the  time  they 
reached  the  place  there  was  nothing  left  of  the  Hazell 
brewery  but  the  falling  walls.  The  fire,  fanned  by  the 
night  wind,  had  done  its  work  well. 

Michael  Ford  was  flying  about  the  ruins  like  a 
madman,  and  when  the  gig  with  the  brother  and  sister 
drove  up,  he  cursed  them  both,  and  all  of  the  name  of 
Hazell,  in  words  which  haunted  those  who  heard  it  to 
their  dying  day. 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 
ALL'S  WELL. 

I  HE  brewery,  unfortunately,  was  not  fully  in- 
sured, and  the  loss  was  very  considerable. 
As  was  to  be  expected,  the  loss  fell  mere 
heavily  on  the  new  partner,  who,  in  spite  of 
all  his  boasting,  had  not  got  his  fingers  upon  Mr. 
Hazell's  capital  He  had  received  large  sums  from 
him  at  various  times  certainly ;  and  had,  to  use  that 
expressive  phrase,  feathered  his  nest  well;  but  the 
destruction  of  building,  plant,  and  stock  was  a  calamity 
he  had  not  looked  for.  He  tore  up  to  Hazelwood,  like 
a  madman,  the  morning  after  the  fire,  and  demanded  an 
interview  with  Mr.  Hazell.  He  was  shown  into  the 
library,  where,  in  a  few  minutes,  Robert  came  to  him. 
He  had  sent  a  message  home  with  the  gig,  and  remained 
all  night  at  Hazelwood,  but  had  not  yet  seen  his  father, 
who  was  confined  to  hid  bedroom,  and  knew  nothing  of 
what  had  occurred. 

'Well,  sir,'  said  Robert,  as  he  closed  the  door  and 
faced  the  irate  little  creature  standing  at  the  window. 
His  manner  as  he  spoke  was  cold,  curt,  and  distant  in 


S41 


24»  HAZELL  <5r>  SONS. 

the  extreme:  he  did  not  even  give  him  a  sign  of 
recognition. 

'  Well,  too,'  quoth  Air.  Ford  rudely.  '  I  did  not  ask 
for  you,  did  I  ?  It's  the  old  man  I  want  to  see.' 

'  You  can't  see  him,'  said  Robert  shortly.  '  Please 
say  what  you  have  to  say,  and  go.  There  can  be  no 
welcome  for  you,  sir,  in  this  house.' 

Mr.  Ford  absolutely  glared,  but  somehow  he  felt 
afraid  of  Robert  Hazell.  He  was  quiet,  but  determina- 
tion sat  on  every  feature.  The  plotter  and  schemer 
knew  in  a  moment  that  his  reign  was  over. 

'  Oh,  there  can't,  can't  there  ?  And  why  not,  pray  ? 
T've  come  to  know  the  meaning  of  last  night's  pretty 
business.  I  believe  you  all  know  more  of  it  than  you'll 
admit :  your  high  and  mighty  sister  ' — 

'  If  you  mention  my  sister's  name  again,  I'll  kick 
you  out  of  the  house.  I'm  a  man  of  my  word,'  said 
Robert  savagely. 

Mr.  Ford  shifted  uneasily  from  one  foot  to  another, 
but  his  demeanour  became  quieter. 

'  Well,  them  that  did  it  will  have  their  deserts.  If 
that  Becker  doesn't  get  seven  years,  there  won't  be 
justice  in  the  land.  What's  the  governor  saying  to  it, 
eh  ? — a  nice  dish  for  his  breakfast,  wasn't  it  ?  How 
does  he  like  the  sight  he  sees  now  from  his  bedroom 
window,  instead  of  the  thriving  colony  he  was  so 
proud  of  ? ' 

'  My  father  is  too  ill  to  take  much  interest  in  any- 
thing,' responded  Robert.  '  You  cannot  see  him.  I 
must  refer  you  to  Mr.  Atkins,  the  attorney,  if  you 
want  to  speak  about  legal  business.  In  any  other 


ALLS  WELL.  143 

matter  T  act  as  my  father's  representative,  and  I  have 
no  desire  to  prolong  this  interview.' 

'  Oh,  that's  how  it  is,  is  it  ? '  queried  Ford  sneeringly. 
'  Well,  if  you're  to  act  for  the  old  man ' — 

'  Mr.  Hazcll,  if  you  please,'  put  in  Robert  stiffly. 

1  Well,  Mr.  Hazell,  then.  What  I  want  to  know  is, 
what  dnmages  I'm  to  get  for  last  night's  work  ?  Of 
course  it  falls  heaviest  on  me,  for  my  interest  as  partner 
was  chiefly  in  what  was  demolished  by  these  scoundrels. 
That's  the  question  Mr.  Hazell  will  have  to  decide  as 
soon  as  he's  able,  and  before  the  question  of  rebuilding 
comes  on,' 

'  Whoever  may  rebuild,  my  father  will  not,'  returned 
Robert  quietly.  '  He  will  retire  from  business  now. 
As  to  the  question  about  damages,  it  is  too  absurd. 
You  took  your  interest  in  the  concern  with  all  its  risks. 
There  is  no  use  wasting  time  in  foolish  talk.  I  expect 
all  connection  between  you  and  the  name  of  Hazell  to  be 
now  ended.  I  must  congratulate  you,  sir,  on  what  you 
have  made  of  it  You  will  not  quit  the  firm  a  poor 
man  ;  but  whether  you  are  an  honourable  one  or  not 
is  another  matter.  I  reserve  my  opinion.  Good  morn- 
ing, Mr.  Ford.' 

Ford  was  about  to  speak  again,  but  Robert  shook  his 
head  and  walked  out  of  the  room.  And  what  could 
the  junior  partner  do  but  accept  his  dismissal,  grinding 
his  teeth  with  rage  as  he  went.  Robert  had  carried 
things  with  a  high  hand  indeed.  He  had  taken  a  great 
Meal  upon  himself,  and  had  acted  for  his  father  with  a 
decisive  promptitude  that  gentleman  would  scarcely 
have  had  the  courage  to  display  before  Michael  Ford 


244  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

Robert's  judgment  was  sound,  and  he  was  quite  willing 
to  bear  the  consequences  of  his  morning's  work. 

He  met  Mary  in  the  hail.  She  had  been  out  of 
doors,  and  her  face  was  flushed  with  walking  through 
the  sharp  morning  air.  She  had  a  bunch  of  bright 
holly-berries  and  Christmas  roses — the  first  of  the 
season — in  her  hand. 

'  Kobert,  what  have  you  been  saying  to  him  ? ' 
she  asked,  almost  gleefully.  '  I  saw  him  go  in  and 
come  out,  and  there  was  a  beautiful  change  in  his 
demeanour.' 

'  He  knows  my  sentiments  now  ;  that  is  all,  Molly. 
I  don't  think  we  shall  have  much  further  trouble  with 
Michael  Ford,'  returned  Eobert,  with  a  dry  smile. 
'  Will  you  go  up  and  inquire  whether  papa  will  see  me. 
I  can't  stay  much  longer,  though  I  could  come  back 
after  I  see  to  some  things  at  Lady  well.' 

'  Just  go  up  alone,  Bob.  It  is  often  better  to  do 
these  things  without  preparation.  Papa  is  awake,  and 
up.  Madeline  took  him  his  breakfast  long  since.  No 
doubt  he  knows  now  what  has  happened.  I  am  sure 
he  will  be  thankful  and  glad  to  see  you.' 

Kobert  took  her  advice,  and  went  up  at  once  to  his 
father's  room.  He  was  in  the  dressing-room,  and  had 
his  chair  wheeled  close  to  the  window,  from  which  he 
was  mournfully  contemplating  the  smouldering  ruins  of 
the  brewery.  He  had  not  appeared  much  distressed 
by  the  news,  which  Lena  had  gently  broken  to  him 
when  she  brought  him  his  morning  chocolate.  Perhaps 
he  was  not  very  greatly  surprised.  He  looked  round 
hurriedly  at  the  opening  of  the  door,  and  there  was  a 


ALLS  WELL,  «45 

nervousness  in  both  look  and  manner  which  quickly 
gave  place  to  surprise  and  unmistakable  relief. 

'  It's  you,  Robert,  my  boy  !  Come  in,  come  in.  I — 1 
thought  it  was  Ford.  I  told  them  I  couldn't  see  him 
if  he  came.  •  Sit  down,  sit  down.' 

It  was  a  curious  meeting.  They  shook  hands  a? 
naturally  and  unconcernedly  as  if  they  had  parted  only 
yesterday ;  but  Robert  was  inwardly  affected  by  the 
grievous  change  in  his  father's  appearance.  He  was 
quite  a  broken-down  old  man. 

'  When  did  you  come  1  * 

'  I  have  been  here  all  night.  I  drove  over  from 
Lady  well  last  night,'  returned  Robert. 

'  Ay,  ay.  I  suppose  the  fire  would  be  visible  from 
Lady  well.  A  fine  night's  work,  eh  ? '  asked  the  old 
man,  with  a  feeble  smile,  as  he  pointed  to  the  ruins. 
'  It'll  be  a  fine  disappointment  for  Ford.  But  it's  his 
doing,  all  his  doing.  I  warned  him  he  was  oppressing 
the  folk.  Flesh  an  1  blood  can  only  stand  a  certain 
amount,  but  he  is  as  headstrong  as  he  is  tyrannical 
Ah,  Bob,  it  is  a  bad  thing  to  let  a  servant  know  too 
much  or  get  too  firm  a  hold.  I  see  now  the  mistake  I 
made  with  you  and  Bertie.  I'd  undo  the  past,  my  lad, 
if  I  could'— 

'  Don't  reproach  yourself,  father,'  said  Robert  cheer- 
fully. '  Neither  Bertie  nor  I  have  had  any  reason  to 
regret  it  I  like  my  work  at  Burnley  famously.' 

'  Ay ;  and  you  have  a  little  son,  Eleanor  told  me. 
What  do  you  call  him  ? ' 

'  We  named  him  for  you  and  for  Lucy's  father — 
Robert  Meredith  Hazell.' 


246  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

'  Ah,  well,  if  he  turns  out  as  well  as  his  father  he  11 
be  worth  the  trouble  of  rearing  him.  You've  always 
been  a  good  boy,  Bob,  and  I  didn't  do  the  right  thing 
by  you.  It  was  the  drink,  nothing  but  the  drink — it 
poisons  the  very  nature  of  a  man.  You'll  bring  up 
your  boy  to  abhor  it.  Tell  him  it  ruined  his  grand- 
father in  his  old  age.  I've  been  taking  myself  to  task 
these  few  days,  lying  in  my  bed.  What  a  life  I've  led 
these  women-folk  lately !  Bob,  your  sister's  a  brick. 
She  gave  him  the  right-about-face  and  no  mistake.' 

The  old  man  shook  with  silent  laughter  at  the 
remembrance  of  that  night. 

'  I  hoped  she'd  do  it ;  and  )  et  he  threatened  all  sorts 
of  things  if  she  wouldn't  have  him.  I'm  glad  all  this 
has  happened.  He  had  too  tight  a  hold.  I  could 
scarcely  call  my  soul  my  own.  You  won't  let  him  in 
upon  me  if  he  comes.  I  have  no  strength.  He  can 
make  me  do  anything.' 

Robert's  heart  was  full  of  pity  at  the  pathetic  weak- 
ness his  father  displayed. 

'  He  will  not  come  back  in  a  hurry,  sir.  He  has 
been  here  this  morning.  I  have  just  come  up  from 
showing  him  out,  after  a  few  plain  remarks.' 

'  No ! '  Mr.  Hazell  sat  up  in  his  chair,  with  eager, 
excited  interest.  '  What  did  you  say  ? ' 

'  He  was  beginning  in  a  very  high-handed  fashion, 
but  I  stopped  him.  I  told  him  that  he  could  settle 
any  legal  business  with  Atkins,  and  that  I,  as  your 
representative,  declined  to  have  any  further  talk  with 
him.' 

Tears — tears  of  relief — actually  started  in  the  old 


ALL'S  WELL  247 

man's  eyes,  and  he  gripped  his  son's  hand  in  his  nerve- 
less fingers. 

'  I  told  him  you  would  not  rebuild  the  brewery,  and 
that  you  would  probably  retire  immediately  from  busi- 
ness.' 

'  Oh,  my  son !  There's  a  load  lifted  off  my  mind. 
Do  you  know  I  have  lived  in  terror  of  that  man  ? 
I  believe  in  another  six  months  he  would  have  cleaned 
me  out.' 

'  But  you  have  still  plenty  ? '  queried  Robert,  not 
without  anxiety.  '  He  had  threatened  Mary  with  turn- 
ing you  all  out  of  Hazelwood — a  vain  threat,  surely  ? ' 

'  Oh  yes,  the  place  is  all  right ;  and  there's  the 
Amaranth  bonds,  worth  a  thousand  a  year  at  any  rate. 
I've  given  him  in  all,  I  think,  about  three  thousand 
pounds  since  you  left — a  nice  nest-egg  for  him,  isn't  it  ? ' 

'  Ay,  the  villain.  He  talked  about  giving  Becker  seven 
years;  he  deserves  such  a  sentence  ten  times  more 
richly.  "We  must  try  to  get  these  men  off  as  easily  as 
possible,  father.' 

'  Oh  yes.  I'll  see  to  it.  I'll  be  able  to  see  to  any- 
thing, now  that  this  frightful  incubus  is  lifted  from  my 
shoulders,'  said  the  old  man ;  and  indeed  he  looked  as 
if  new  life  had  come  to  him.  It  was  a  mystery  to 
Robert  Hazell  how  Ford  had  ever  acquired  such  an 
influence  over  a  man  of  his  father's  character  and  nature. 
The  solution  of  the  mystery  was  to  be  found  in  that 
all-powerful  bottle  which  Ford  had  kept  within  constant 
reach  in  the  private  room  at  the  brewery. 

'  I'm  going  to'  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  Robert,  in  my 
old  age.  I've  made  up  my  mind  that  I  shall  drink  no 


248  HAZELL  &>  SOWS. 

more.  And  whoever  rebuilds  the  brewery,  as  yon  said, 
I  never  shall.  How  did  you  know  so  well  what  I 
intended  ? ' 

'  I  hoped  you  would  be  persuaded,'  returned  Eobert, 
as  he  rose  to  go.  '  Well,  I  must  go  home.  I  may  give 
your  love  to  Lucy  and  the  boy,  I  suppose.  Perhaps 
you'll  come  in  some  day  when  you  are  able  to  drive  as 
far?' 

'Ay  will  I.  I  have  something  to  make  up  to  you 
and  yours,  Bob.  I've  been  a  foolish,  wicked  old  man. 
May  God  have  mercy  on  me  for  my  sins ! ' 

'  Brighter  days  are  at  hand,  father,'  said  Robert,  and 
his  eyes  were  dim.  '  Good-bye.  Keep  up  your  heart. 
We'll  see  you  a  hale,  hearty  man  yet/ 

Mary  was  restlessly  pacing  the  passages  and  stairs 
awaiting  the  result  of  the  interview.  She  met  Robert 
on  the  landing,  and  slipped  her  arm  through  his. 

'  It  is  all  right,  dear.  The  sun  has  risen  over  Hazel- 
wood,'  he  said,  as  he  stooped  to  kiss  her.  '  Say  good- 
bye, and  let  me  go.  Go  to  papa  now.  I  believe  he 
must  have  a  great  deal  to  say  to  you.' 

When  Mary  entered  the  room  she  found  her  father 
sitting  by  the  window,  looking  out  with  a  far-away 
expression  in  his  eyes. 

'  Is  that  you,  wife  ? ' 

'  No,  it  is  I,  papa,'  returned  Mary  softly.  '  Mamma  is 
not  down  yet.  She  feels  very  nervous  after  her  excite- 
ment. May  I  tell  her  you  are  so  much  better  ? ' 

*  Yes ;  tell  her  I  hope,  with  the  grace  of  God,  that  I 
am  a  changed  man.  Kiss  me,  my  darling,  and  tell  me 
if  you  forgive  me.' 


ALL'S  WELL.  049 

1  Hush,  oh  hush !  there  can  never  be  any  talk  of 
forgiveness  between  us  two/  said  Mary,  as  she  bent  over 
his  chair. 

'  Do  you  know  what  I  have  been  thinking  since  Robert 
went  out  ?  That  I  have  had  good,  dutiful  children,  and 
was  not  grateful  for  my  blessings.  I  will  try  now  to 
show  what  I  think  of  my  children,  I  have  been  a  poor 
father  to  them.' 

Mary  laid  one  hand  on  his  lips,  and  with  the  other 
smoothed  away  the  grey  hair  from  his  brow. 

'  How  quickly  one's  thoughts  travel.  I  have  made 
fifty  plans  this  morning.  Shall  I  tell  you  the  latest  ? 
I  am  planning  a  trip  to  the  New  World  for  mamma  and 
Madeline  and  you  and  me,  to  visit  Bertie  and  his  wift. 
Suppose  we  leave  after  the  New  Year,  and  Robert  and 
his  wife  will  live  here  in  our  absence  ;  and  he  can  drive 
daily  to  and  from  Lady  well,  if  he  has  not  made  a  change 
before  then.  Wouldn't  that  be  a  pleasant  change  of 
scene  for  us  all  ? ' 

But  Mary  only  answered  with  her  teara 

Mr.  HazelTs  proposal  became  an  accomplished  fact, 
and  soon  after  the  New  Year  the  party  sailed  for  the 
New  World.  Jn  the  interval  the  affairs  of  the  brewery 
had  been  wound  up,  but  Michael  Ford,  wisely  judging 
that  he  had  coined  a  good  penny,  which  he  had  better 
.take  care  of,  did  not  present  any  claim,  He  disap- 
peared from  Medlington,  and  as  yet  there  is  no  talk  of 
the  brewery  being  rebuilt  The  ringleaders  in  the  work 
of  incendiarism  got  off  with  a  light  imprisonment,  there 
being  no  prosecuting  parties ;  and  Mr.  Hazell  took  good 


a$o  HAZELL  &  SONS. 

care  that  their  wives  and  families  should  not  suffer 
during  the  incarceration.  Employment  was  afterwards 
found  for  them ;  some  of  them,  Becker  among  the  rest, 
found  occupation  at  Burnley,  where  they  were  under 
the  kindly  eye  of  Mr.  Robert.  Money  can  do  much. 
Robert  is  no  longer  cashier,  but  a  large  shareholder  in 
the  ownership  of  the  Ladywell  mines.  He  will  occupy 
Hazelwood  during  the  term  of  his  father's  absence,  and 
then  the  Priory  will  become  his  homa  So  time  will 
bring  him  to  the  fulfilment  of  an  early  dream.  Wherever 
Robert  and  Lucy  Hazell  may  set  up  their  family  altar, 
be  it  in  humbleness  or  in  affluence,  it  will  be  a  sanctuary 
to  the  Lord.  The  children  born  and  reared  at  their 
fireside  cannot  but  grow  up  good  men  and  women  with 
such  an  example  before  them. 

And  what  of  Mary  ?  Is  she,  so  eminently  fitted  to 
grace  any  station,  to  walk  alone  through  life  ?  I  am 
not  writing  the  history  of  Mary  Hazell  or  of  Madeline 
Rayne.  They  are  both  young,  life  is  all  before  them. 
No  doubt  each  will  find  her  happiest  sphere.  So  we 
will  say  farewell 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


QL. 


OCT 


rm  L9-J 


01988 


